Niigata Eya Niigata, Japan

Niigata Eya, 1864, 10-bancho, Kamiokawamae-dori, Chuo-ku, 951-8068 Niigata-shi, Japan info@niigata-eya.jp | www.niigata-eya.jp

Niigata Eya was established in 2000 as a visitor-oriented gallery. It is independently operated/ curated by its members as ‘seeing individuals’. The concept was to create an environment that produces a close, person-toperson contact with the artist’s work. The intimate setting escapes the long shadow cast by many organisations of Japan’s hierarchy of artists and releases the viewer from aesthetic perspectives dictated by Tokyo’s megacity value set. It is supported through sales of artworks, but additional funding comes from membership fees and donations. Following westernisation Japan’s art became more distant from its people’s everyday environment. Niigata Eya provides opportunities for a reunion of the distinct Japanese lifestyle and its art.

Momo Hasuike, ‘Mother and Child (4)’, acrylic gouache on paper, 24.4 x 15.9 cm, 2018, photo: Noriyuki Aida

Hiroshi Kurita, ‘Shinzoukan’, ink, watercolour on paper, 19.0 x 13.5 cm, 1981, photo: Hiroshi Okura

SINZOW, ‘Stay alive with me’, Chinese ink on handmade paper, 33 x 50 cm, 2019