Ayaka Tadano Solo Exhibition

PAST EXHIBITION

Open: October 3 (Fri) – October 26 (Sun), 2025
13:00-19:00
Wednesday – Saturday, last Sunday

CALM & PUNK GALLERY is pleased to present Ayaka Tadano: “Grasses Along the Way: A Guide Toward the Beyond.”
Working with traditional Japanese painting materials such as washi paper, mineral pigments, and animal glue, Tadano creates works infused with luminous color and a serene sense of quiet joy. The spaces evoked in her paintings are not merely idyllic; they recall the solemnity of prayer, offering viewers a contemplative experience. Rooted in her personal experience of the Great East Japan Earthquake, Tadano’s pursuit of “beautiful moments” suggests layered intersections between actual landscapes and inner visions.

In 2023, Tadano participated in Diffusion of Nature 2023: Soil and Dreams, the result exhibition of the Kumonodaira Mountain Lodge Artist-in-Residence Program at GASBON METABOLISM. Immersed in the natural environment of Kumonodaira, she engaged deeply with shifting light, humidity, and atmosphere, and with the distances that define landscape. These sensory experiences informed new dimensions in her painting practice, expanding beyond color and composition into a spatial awareness that resonates on another level.

This exhibition presents six new works in addition to large-scale paintings. The title phrase, “Grasses Along the Way,” combines the words robo (roadside) and kibō (hope), suggesting the discovery of hope in passing moments of scenery, and its potential to guide us forward. Following her recent exhibitions in Miyagi and Shiga, and as she expands her practice toward international contexts, this solo show marks an important milestone in Tadano’s artistic journey.
Alongside the exhibition, we will host an opening reception, an artist talk with Nodoka Odawara, and a dialogical viewing program. We warmly invite you to join us.

Artist’s Statement

I create paintings using washi, mineral pigments, silver leaf, and animal glue. As nothing in life or nature remains unchanged, I try to capture the radiance and traces of the world in order to draw out new landscapes.
My perception of nature and scenery—so central to my work—began with my experience of the earthquake in my hometown. Even amid immense devastation, there were moments when the scenery appeared beautiful. To recognize that beauty was, for me, to hold hope for tomorrow and the future.
The colors in my paintings express the air of those shimmering moments, and the accumulation of time itself. In depicting forms and landscapes of beauty, I seek to create spaces that may serve as places of belonging—for myself and for others.

The exhibition title, “Grasses Along the Way: A Guide Toward the Beyond” uses the coined word robo (from roadside) combined with kibō (hope). It evokes the sensation of encountering hope in unexpected scenery, of feeling the firm yet gentle ground underfoot, and of finding new hope as one continues onward into the distance.
Through painting, I hope to share that experience of time and space with others.
— Ayaka Tadano

Artist Profile

Ayaka Tadano
Born in 1992. Graduated from the Department of Japanese Painting, Musashino Art University, and completed her Master’s in Art Education at the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts. In 2023, she studied at Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, supported by Yukinokai Museum. Working primarily with washi, mineral pigments, and animal glue, Tadano paints landscapes that merge the real and the inner, suffused with atmosphere, light, and personal perception.

Recent solo exhibitions include “Heading North” (Build Space, Shiogama, Miyagi, 2025), N.E. blood 21 vol.85 Ayaka Tadano (Rias Ark Museum of Art, Kesennuma, Miyagi, 2024), Ayaka Tadano × Zeze Ware: “By the Beautiful Shore” (Zeze Kiln, Shiga, 2023), and Solo Exhibition (Frederick Harris Gallery, Tokyo American Club, 2022). Awards include the FACE 2022 Yomiuri Shimbun Award, the Grand Prize at the 23rd Yukinokai Florence Prize, and the Ataka Prize from Tokyo University of the Arts (2017).

Artist Talk: Nodoka Odawara × Ayaka Tadano

Guest Profiles

Nodoka Odawara
Born 1985 in Miyagi Prefecture. Sculptor and critic, Ph.D. in Art. Her practice begins with sculpture and expands to issues of gender, imperialism, and publicness, reexamining art history through both theory and practice. Solo exhibitions include the Aomori Contemporary Art Centre and Tsunagi Art Museum. Publications include Overcoming Modernity Through Sculpture (Kodansha, 2021), Theory of Monuments (Seidosha, 2023), and Art in Modern Japan: Toward a De-imperialized Art History (co-edited with Hiroki Yamamoto, Getsuyōsha, 2023). She runs the publishing house Shoshi 99, and is a member of the Field Survey Group on Artistic Expression, Artists’ Union Observer, and a lecturer at Yokohama National University.

Dialogical Viewing Program

Dialogical Viewing Program
Facilitator: Yukiko Ito (Artorium)
Date & Time: Saturday, October 11, 14:00–15:30
Capacity: 10 participants
Admission: Free (Reservation required)

Yukiko Ito – Artorium
Founder of the nonprofit Artorium. She develops participatory art events and educational programs that promote dialogical approaches to art appreciation in galleries, museums, and classrooms. Since 2023, she has organized “visual talk” art-viewing sessions with Artorium, and currently works as a collection guide staff member at The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo.

To apply, please call us or use the form below.
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