Japanese Artists' Books
Fri 04.04
Bergen Kunsthall, Upstairs
Konnichiwa, lovers of the Bergen Art Book Fair!
Hand Saw Press, a Risograph & Open D.I.Y. studio from Tokyo, is coming to Bergen with a selection of independent publications and artist books from Japan.
These are highly recommended books by Hand Saw Press—rare and valuable art books that are hard to find not only in Norway but also outside of Japan.
We hope you enjoy this special exhibition!
Available all weekend at Bergen Kunsthall (Upstairs)
New Era Ladies is a bold and dynamic magazine created by a group of young feminists. In Japan’s overwhelmingly male-dominated and patriarchal society, they stand strong against men while embracing their own power and cuteness. They serve as role models for younger women, inspiring them to break free from societal norms.At the heart of the group are two sisters who are graphic and fashion designers(super-KIKI), making their work not only deeply message-driven but also highly aesthetic and visually compelling.
The Institute of Barbarian Books is an independent, unconventional print shop, small publisher, and sometimes library run by Momoe Narazaki and William Shum.They run a small-scale, organic, no-till vegetable family farm in Shobara, Hiroshima, while focusing on global social issues. Through illustration, design, and zine-making, they engage in social activism.
Yasashi punch is an artist collective by Tetsuya Shimoda, Ridawo Wakayama and Yuki Kano.Three young visual artists create a lot of illustrations daily and produce zines at an astonishing speed. Their works are rough, sketch-like style inspired by Japanese and American comics and games, driven by an obsessive passion and the creation of their own worlds. With these three artists collective, you can never take our eyes off them.
Sae Fujita is an artist who majored in printmaking at a fine arts university in Kyoto and continues to work primarily with printmaking as a form of expression. Starting from drawing, they use printing techniques such as silkscreen and inkjet printing to reinterpret the act of drawing and are interested in creating images that are temporally and spatially separated. They co-founded the publishing label [pharmacy] with alternative ceramic artist SHOKKI.
pharmacy
sfjt.pw/ph
Neutral Color is an independent publisher founded by Naonori Kato, a former chief editor at a major magazine publisher.
He went independent to create the magazine he truly wanted to make. Leaving behind a stable income, he teamed up with talented graphic designer Daisuke Kano, bought a new risograph, and chose to handle everything himself—from printing and binding to distribution. He publishes [NEUTRAL COLORS] one issue per year, with a print run of 5,000 copies, which is just enough to sustain a modest living.This magazine feels like Kato’s personal novel.
SHIN HAMADA is a zinester who regularly creates handmade zines printed on convenience store copy machines,while thriving as a photographer. In recent years, they have been running an independent project under the label HAMADA ARCHITECTS™︎, where they observe vacant lots and gaps within the city. They focus on "prototype creation and sales", ‘"publishing and distributing free papers" and "dialogue" in this project.
SHIN HAMADA
shinhamada.com
HEADQUARTERS is the workspace of artist Ryuta Abe. He uses this space to produce, exhibit and sell all of his work, including KSFCLB (messenger bag brand), Koshigoe School (photography and publishing) and Yoma Records (music label). With a DIY spirit, he makes everything with his own hands, and this space is filled with sewing machines, an old Xerox laser printer, bicycles, woodworking tools and music equipment.
This exhibition is made possible with support from Royal Norwegian Embassy in Tokyo