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Kumamoto

Gallery

Kumamoto-based art collective - Kumamoto Alternative Art Forum (Kaaf) with a core team of four professionals - artists, curator, and art project enthusiast. Nestled in a traditional house in Kawashiri, we're set to engage in elusive and DIY art activities throughout Kumamoto. 

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AIR motomoto is a micro-residence facility located in Arao City on the northern side of Kumamoto Prefecture. At this facility, artists research, produce and stay in the facility in preparation for exhibitions and we hold an exhibition at the end of their stay. By exhibiting works from the perspectives of Japanese and foreign artists, and Japanese artists living abroad and sharing them widely with Arao residents and visitors, we aim to have people reconsider the charm of Kumamoto and Kyushu region at large. We aim to have a space where artists and visitors can relax and have some time for themselves.

The residence was named also because there is a saying in Japanese &quot;dame de motomoto&quot; or &quot;giving it a try because there is nothing to lose.&quot; &quot;Though most people might take these words with a negative meaning, I like to think there is a positive side as well.&quot;

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The Shiranui Art Museum & Library is a comprehensive cultural facility in Uki, where the art museum and library are housed in the same building. The art museum features a collection of works by world-renowned artists with ties to Uki City. In addition to preserving and passing down the achievements of these artists who have grown in this land and made their mark on the world, the museum also provides opportunities to experience diverse arts and expressions that are connected to our lives in this ever-changing modern world, creating a space for dialogue.

The library, as a hub of knowledge, not only serves to preserve culture but also creates a foundation for deepening knowledge and fostering creativity. We hope that citizens will move freely between the art museum and the library, opening doors to unknown worlds discovered through art at the museum, and further exploring these worlds through the library's resources, thereby gaining new perspectives.

As an open art museum and library, we aim to nurture the creativity of each individual and grow together with our community.

About the Art Museum Collection

- Manabu Mabe: Praised as the Picasso of South America for his vivid colors and fresh sensibility in abstract paintings, and recognized for his contributions to the Japan-Brazil friendship.
- Hideo Noda: Active in the American art scene in the 1930s, he left a significant mark on the history of modern Japanese painting despite his brief life, ending at the age of 30.
- Tetsuya Noda: An honorary professor at Tokyo University of the Arts, he gained attention in the printmaking world with his innovative ideas that broke away from traditional printmaking concepts.
- Asahi Kono: A world-renowned photographer active from the Taisho to early Showa periods, mainly based in the United States.

The museum houses works by these and other artists who have emerged from this region.

Kumamoto

Kumamoto Manga Arts

Kumamoto Alternative Art Forum (KAAF)

AIR Motomoto

Shiranuhi Art Museum & Library

Tsunagi Art Museum

Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art

Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto