AUTUMN ASIA WEEK NEW YORK EXHIBITION
Kaori Someya: The Light Within
September 10 – October 17, 2026
Opening Reception with Artist: Thursday, Sept 10, 5-8pm (kindly RSVP)
Artist Talk: Saturday, Sept 12, 1:30-2:30pm (kindly RSVP)
We are pleased to present Kaori Someya: The Light Within, the Nihonga painter’s debut solo exhibition during Autumn Asia Week New York, on view from September 10 through October 17, 2026. The exhibition opens on Thursday, September 10, from 5–8pm, with the artist in attendance, visiting from Tokyo especially for the occasion.
Someya’s paintings apply the thousand-year-old technique of urahaku, or the backing of transparent washi paper with gold and platinum leaf, instilling her paintings with an inner radiance. Someya uses the traditional medium of Nihonga as a way to explore the complex existence of women in contemporary Japanese society, depicting female figures in vibrantly patterned traditional kimono, their expressions caught between serenity and resignation. In doing so, Someya works to explore the tension women face between external societal pressures and the internal desire to preserve one’s beliefs and identity.
We are delighted to welcome Kaori Someya to New York to celebrate her debut solo exhibition at Ippodo Gallery. In addition to joining us for the opening reception, Someya will give a special artist talk that Saturday, offering insights into her Nihonga painting process and her exploration of themes of gender and society. We look forward to welcoming you to the exhibition and sharing this special presentation of Someya’s luminous work with you during Autumn Asia Week New York!
To RSVP to the reception, click here and to RSVP to the artist talk, click here.
To learn more, click here.
UPCOMING ART FAIR
Fine Arts Paris
Quiet Metamorphosis: A Resurgence of Kogei
September 19– 23, 2026
Booth N25
Grand Palais
We are pleased to debut at Fine Arts Paris at Booth N25 in the historic Grand Palais from September 19–23, 2026. Quiet Metamorphosis: A Resurgence of Kogei highlights a timely revival of Japanese fine-art-craft. Drawing upon time-honored traditions, these most contemporary works evoke a visceral and meditative presence: this is a profound creative metamorphosis happening quietly in our time.
In the nineteenth century, revolutionary Japonisme transfixed the landscape of French culture and Western art through flat perspective, vivid naturalism, and asymmetric composition. Japan’s contemporary masters honor artistic heritage whilst approaching their materials with a radically modern sensibility. Their creations bring ancient craft into the era of contemporary art.
Under the majestic dome of the Grand Palais—the historic site of the World’s Fairs which ignited global passion for Japanese aesthetics—Quiet Metamorphosis: A Resurgence of Kogei awakens an essential philosophy of beauty. Leading the presentation are the LOEWE Craft Prize winner Kunimasa Aoki’s terracotta sculptures made from thousands of compressed coils; rare mineral-based Nihonga paintings (絵画) by Masaaki Miyasako evocative of Pointillism; dyed textiles (染色) by Shigeki Fukumoto develop Kyoto traditions of Kimono-making using rōzome (wax-resist) and inlay nuno-zōgan techniques with treasured Turfan cotton; Urushi lacquer (漆) is rendered as tea objects in exquisite zelkova elm by third-generation master Jihei Murase; driftwood, stone, and ancient wood reclaimed from Kyoto’s Zen temples is fashioned into spiritual figures by Sho Kishino.
Our presentation integrates an extraordinary breadth of traditional and modern Japanese disciplines which speak directly to the five senses and our immutable connection to the natural world. Each artist draws upon natural mediums: Daisuke Nakano uses crushed natural mineral pigments and fine ink on washi paper. Vivid hues emerge from the harmonious indigo-dyed textiles of Shihoko Fukumoto. Innovative porcelain tea bowls by Kodai Ujiie are crazed and filled with colorful lacquer inlay. Kenta Hirai elevates the dynamism of carved wood with elegance. Vibrant glazed-painted vessels by Ruri Takeuchi and traditional shino by Takeshi Suzuki demonstrate the enduring inheritance of Japan’s contemporary kilns. Bamboo (竹) takes on fluid architectural curves in the hands of Hideaki Honma. Colors are wrought from natural patination while the metal (金工) itself is transformed into Shota Suzuki’s intricate botanical scenes. Individual rolled washi paper (和紙) spirals become a unified whole in KAKU’s works that bridge sculpture and paper craft.
Engaging with these masterworks restores a sense of grounded humanity to the chaos of modern life. Quiet Metamorphosis – A Resurgence of Kogei follows the influences that have shaped contemporary Japanese art and the renewal of classical ideas in our contemporary world.
To learn more, click here.
About the Gallery
Ippodo Gallery is a cultural bridge to Japan’s living master artists. Founded in Tokyo (1996-), the New York gallery (2008-) presents fine handcrafted and rare works created using traditional materials and methods. Each piece selected embodies Japanese aesthetic sensitivity that is born of a spiritual bond with nature. Ippodo’s exhibition program features unique objects — fine ceramics, lacquerware, metal crafts, sculpture, paintings, and works on paper — that celebrate human invention, the natural world, and sublime beauty.
