aaploit will be participating in Art Fair Asia Fukuoka (AFAF), taking place in Fukuoka City from September 20–22 (September 19: VIP Day). As this marks our first time participating in an art fair, we plan to showcase a variety of works, primarily by artists we have featured on aaploit.

Tomomi Hanzawa

Tomomi Hanzawa weaves human stories through paper, focusing on the materiality of the medium and presenting works that blend her unique cultural and humanistic perspectives. Her work reflects her multicultural experiences, and she describes paper itself as a symbol of humanity. With exhibitions at the Pola Museum of Art and participation in the Nakanojo Biennale, her artistic expression is garnering increasing attention.

Aoi Michimata

Aoi Michimata is engaged in woodblock printing with a focus on media and satire. Her series, inspired by “Kafka’s Staircase”—a concept proposed by social activist Takeshi Ikuta—has been highly acclaimed across various circles. Her works are part of the collection at Arts Maebashi. She hopes to offer viewers a glimpse of the society as perceived by young people in their twenties.

Madoka Okoshi

Madoka Okoshi transforms spatial recognition technology—utilizing the LiDAR sensor built into the iPhone—into art. Her “Surface Drawing” series captures cityscapes and people as 3D models, reconstructs them as augmented reality (AR), and photographs them. Her works are part of the collection at the Gunma Museum of Modern Art. She is gaining attention for her innovative works that fuse digital and analog elements. She is scheduled to hold a solo exhibition at aaploit in September to present a new series.

En Itokawa

En Itokawa releases digital works on NFT marketplaces. The unique worldview of her work has fostered a community on social media, expanding a network that resonates with Web3 concepts. She is expanding her activities both domestically and internationally, including exhibitions at the National Museum of Modern Art, Rome.

Nene Tatsumi

Nene Tatsumi explores social systems and the essence of humanity, expressing how they intersect and influence one another. Through color and composition, her work visualizes the complex interactions of society and offers profound insights. As an up-and-coming artist, she is highly anticipated for her future endeavors.

Hikaru Ishiguro

For Hikaru Ishiguro, the act of creating art is a “work of mourning.” This concept, proposed by Sigmund Freud in *Mourning and Melancholia* (1917), is reflected in Ishiguro’s practice, which begins with the loss of something dear to him. What overflows from the artist’s inner self appears on the canvas. It seems that Ishiguro is conveying things that are difficult to put into words.

Dayama Hakusai

Dayama Hakusai is an artist who expresses the complex state of human beings in contemporary society through a unique technique. Her works captivate viewers through a fusion of the fluid lines of animation and the materiality of PTP blister packs. The concept of “depicting a lively girl using medicine meant to restore vitality” may seem contradictory at first glance, yet it reflects the deep inner conflicts faced by people today.

Maho Haruna

She empties her mind and wields the brush with a clear, uncluttered heart. Without sketches or preconceived plans, she feels the atmosphere of the moment and lets her body move. She absorbs information from her surroundings through her body, and as her brush moves in a state of mindfulness, a painting is born. This, according to Haruna, is her ideal work. Her earnest approach to painting, as described by her mentor, “makes one feel as if one were standing before an art student from half a century ago.”

Although our booth is small, in addition to the artists mentioned above, we will be presenting works by artists previously featured on aaploit. We would be honored if you could come and view them. We are thrilled and delighted that our first art fair participation is at AFAF, an event centered on the theme of Asia. If you would like to purchase VIP tickets, please contact us via email. If you would like a list of works, please also inquire via email.