FUMA Contemporary Tokyo | BUNKYO ART is pleased to present a solo exhibition by Yoshiyasu Tamura, “Utai: Jo-no-Mai.”
 Yoshiyasu Tamura has developed a distinctive approach to painting by drawing freely from images and visual traditions across different cultures and periods, including manga, Japanese art, and Western painting. For this exhibition, he takes the Noh play “Sumidagawa” as the starting point of his creative exploration. Originally based on a story from “Ise Monogatari (The Tales of Ise),” “Sumidagawa” has been adapted and passed down through generations, including through kabuki theater and ukiyo-e prints. By tracing these transformations, Tamura examines from a contemporary perspective how cultural narratives are adapted, reinterpreted, and passed on across different periods and regions.

The exhibition title, “Utai,” refers to a traditional form of Noh chanting and symbolizes the continuity of culture. Stories may change their form as they are passed from one generation to another, yet their voices and meanings continue to resonate. Under the subtitle “Jo-no-Mai,” meaning an introductory dance in Noh, the exhibition presents a new body of paintings, including “Mitate Sumidagawa,” which incorporates visual references from shin-hanga (the “new prints” movement). In these works, images from different periods and cultures overlap within a single pictorial space, giving rise to new narratives.

Yoshiyasu Tamura has received international recognition for his distinctive visual language, which combines Japanese manga, classical Japanese painting, and Western art. He has presented his work in solo exhibitions and art fairs in cities around the world, including New York, Amsterdam, Florence, Basel, and Mexico City. Through his ongoing international practice, Tamura reinterprets Japanese culture through the language of contemporary painting, creating new connections between traditional imagery and the present day.

Venue
FUMA Contemporary Tokyo | BUNKYO ART
9F, Nagasaki Bldg., 1-3-9 Irifune, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0042 JAPAN

Artists
Yoshiyasu Tamura

Exhibition Dates
September 8 – September 19, 2026

Gallery Hours
Tuesday – Saturday | 12 PM – 7 PM

Website
https://bunkyo-art.co.jp/

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/fuma_contemporary_tokyo/?hl=en

Contact
fuma.con6@gmail.com

(Text and images courtesy of FUMA Contemporary Tokyo | Bunkyo Art)