Ayame Fujiwara’s solo exhibition, "Hearing the Waves of Body Temperature"

This exhibition explores the theme of how people empathize with one another. The motifs, blending brightness and unease, appear to reflect modern society itself.

Ayame Fujiwara was born in 2001 in Miyagi Prefecture and is currently enrolled in the Oil Painting Course at the Graduate School of Musashino Art University. She has received numerous accolades, including the Kenjiro Hosaka Jury Award at the CAF Award 2022, the Grand Prize and Akiji Hijikata Award at the muni Art Award 2023, and the Outstanding Graduation Work Award at Musashino Art University in 2023. She is a promising young artist whose future endeavors are highly anticipated.

When Fujiwara received the Grand Prize at the muni Art Award 2023, the judges were captivated by her depiction of unsettling animals within amorphous frames. Her works express the question of why she, as an artist, engages with society, conveying a youthful passion to absorb the world through her body and translate it into art.

This exhibition, her first solo show at our gallery, is centered around the theme of “Creating a Sense of Belonging.” Drawing inspiration from her daily experiences of navigating the distances and relationships between herself and others, Fujiwara constructs a unique artistic world. Her works, projecting contrasting elements such as desire and disappointment in humanity, emit an energy that is constantly in motion and expanding.

Over the past one to two years, Fujiwara’s motifs have shifted from dark tones to brighter hues, and she has also started using rectangular canvases. Her determination to avoid self-replication and to pursue new artistic challenges is evident. Her works feature cheerful figures floating or walking, as well as charming stuffed animals, while also including depictions of individuals tied up or crushed beneath roads, suggesting themes of sacrifice. These elements convey a strong will to portray the elusive nature of “the other,” a presence not easily approached. It feels as though the artist is striving to understand the world in its entirety, a sentiment that resonates throughout her work.

Please note that artwork sales will be conducted by application only.

Open: 12:00 – 18:00
Closed: Sundays, Mondays, and national holidays

This exhibition offers an opportunity to experience Ayame Fujiwara’s intent to connect with the world as a next-generation artist. We warmly invite you to enjoy this remarkable event.

Lastly, GALLERY SCENA. will conclude its activities at this location with this exhibition and will begin a new chapter in a different venue. We greatly appreciate your continued support.

GALLERY SCENA. + Shukado
Representative: Chiaki Tanaka

From my experiences of being treated, or witnessing others being treated, as if their very lives had no value, I began to aspire to become a “strong person.” I thought that being a “strong person” came with a kind of immunity—a license to disregard the feelings and existence of others.

However, now that this immunity has become widespread around me, I’ve come to believe that taking pride in the mindset of ranking people by strength or weakness is one of the most disgraceful things a person can do.

To be genuine requires the courage to endure deep wounds. Even so, I have a dream: to continue cherishing the people who matter to me. That’s why I want to avoid acquiring a façade of strength that turns people into interchangeable “parts,” even if it means that our mutual imperfections might cause us to hurt each other time and time again.

When I see people and places where they can exist, and realize that we are alive on this planet, I feel that this alone is enough to bring happiness. I hope this sense of hope will ripple like waves, reaching every corner of the world.

Ayame Fujiwara