Osaka ¨C Kansai is celebrated as the home of comedians, playwrights and traditional performers. Yet some of Japan¡¯s most inventive contemporary visual artists are also working there ¡ª often with far less recognition than their counterparts in Tokyo.
That relative obscurity belies the region¡¯s artistic pedigree. Encompassing major cities including Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe, Kansai is the birthplace of Gutai, the influential postwar avant-garde movement known for its emphasis on materiality and performance. It has also produced some of Japan¡¯s leading contemporary artists, including Kenji Yanobe, Kohei Nawa and Miwa Yanagi.
Today, the region¡¯s art scene continues to expand, with emerging creators both refining their techniques and pushing experimental boundaries. Many of their works were on display last weekend at the 24th edition of , an international art fair featuring 60?galleries from 15 cities across Japan and East Asia, and Osaka Art & Design, a citywide showcase of art, design and craft held across galleries and public spaces that opened May 27 and continues through June 23.
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