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Events
【26.6.19.Fri-8.13.Thu】The Shape of the Land
Exhibition Period:2026年6月19日 - 2026年8月13日
We are pleased to announce the group exhibition “The Shape of the Land,” featuring four visual artists based in Ishikawa, Tokyo, and Okinawa, at “GALLERY 9.5 NAHA,” located within Hotel Anteroom Naha.
Dates: Friday, June 19, 2026 – Thursday, August 13, 2026
Hours: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Venue: GALLERY 9.5 NAHA (2nd Floor, Hotel Antelume Naha)
Admission: Free
Reservations: Not required
Parking: Free, 50 spaces
*If the lot is full, please use nearby coin-operated parking lots.
Participating Artists:
Asahi Sakurai
Natsumi Nanashino
Kina Sachiko
HAYATO MACHIDA
Sponsored by: Kamiyama Foundation
〇Cross Talk
We will host a cross talk featuring six participants: the exhibiting artists and invited guests.
Date & Time: Saturday, June 20, 5:00 PM
Location: GALLERY 9.5 NAHA (2nd Floor, Hotel Anteroom Naha)
Talk Guests: Hiroki Yamamoto, Kiyoko Sakata
Reservations: Not required
*Please note that seating is limited.
Exhibition Statement
In Okinawan artistic expression, the deep involvement of social contexts such as war, politics, and history is, given the path this land has taken, an inevitable reality. However, due to the complexity and urgency of these contexts, might there not be an aspect where artists seeking to engage from the outside experience a certain “inaccessibility” or an unconscious sense of reserve when expressing themselves in the Okinawan context? Furthermore, considering the historical and current power dynamics between the mainland and Okinawa, such tension is also necessary.
With these questions in mind, Asahi Sakurai, based in Ishikawa, and Natsumi Nanashino, based in Tokyo, have engaged in repeated dialogue with Okinawa-based artists Kinasa Chiko and Hayato Machida, and have experienced the local atmosphere firsthand through residencies in Okinawa. This exhibition takes shape as Kina and Machida—who have previously exhibited at Anterum Naha—welcome Sakurai and Nanami, who are presenting their work in Okinawa for the first time.
Although the four artists are based in different locations, their respective creative themes are deeply rooted not only in the places where they live but also in personal contexts such as gender and family lineage. Rather than conforming their expressions to expected roles simply because the exhibition is in Okinawa, they aim to present the urgent themes within each of them in a true-to-life manner. With this intention in mind, the exhibition is titled “The Shape of the Land.”
In Okinawa, the phrase “The Shape of the Land” often evokes the geological and cultural transformations of the islands. However, in this exhibition, it also points to the unique histories sedimented within each artist, as well as the expressions that arise from them—that is, the contours of the individual.
During our dialogues in the creative process, there were moments when discussions threatened to fall back too easily on the structural binary of “Okinawa and the mainland.” However, by acknowledging historical and contemporary imbalances and continuing to exchange views on our differing values and backgrounds, we gained the experience of rediscovering our own standpoint—that is, our own “form.”
We hope that the new values, discoveries, and traces of resistance evident in each work will emerge and quietly spread like ripples. We invite you to come and see for yourself.
SAKURAI AKIRA
Instagram
NANASHINO NATSUMI
Instagram
SACHIKO KINA
Instagram
HAYATO MACHIDA
Web site
Instagram
About the Kamiyama Foundation
A general incorporated foundation that provides support with the aim of nurturing the next generation of talent who can contribute to society from a global perspective to create a brighter future.
This exhibition is presented with the support of the Kamiyama Foundation's Art Support Program.
Web site
We sincerely look forward to your visit.
[Rental Gallery Inquiries]
Hotel Anteroom Naha GALLERY 9.5 NAHA
info@anteroom-naha.com
【The Shape of the Land Overview】
Dates: Friday, June 19, 2026 – Thursday, August 13, 2026
Hours: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Venue: GALLERY 9.5 NAHA (2nd Floor, Hotel Antelume Naha)
Admission: Free
Reservations: Not required
Parking: Free, 50 spaces
*If the lot is full, please use nearby coin-operated parking lots.
Participating Artists:
Asahi Sakurai
Natsumi Nanashino
Kina Sachiko
HAYATO MACHIDA
Sponsored by: Kamiyama Foundation
Related Events
〇Cross Talk
We will host a cross talk featuring six participants: the exhibiting artists and invited guests.
Date & Time: Saturday, June 20, 5:00 PM
Location: GALLERY 9.5 NAHA (2nd Floor, Hotel Anteroom Naha)
Talk Guests: Hiroki Yamamoto, Kiyoko Sakata
Reservations: Not required
*Please note that seating is limited.
Exhibition Statement
In Okinawan artistic expression, the deep involvement of social contexts such as war, politics, and history is, given the path this land has taken, an inevitable reality. However, due to the complexity and urgency of these contexts, might there not be an aspect where artists seeking to engage from the outside experience a certain “inaccessibility” or an unconscious sense of reserve when expressing themselves in the Okinawan context? Furthermore, considering the historical and current power dynamics between the mainland and Okinawa, such tension is also necessary.
With these questions in mind, Asahi Sakurai, based in Ishikawa, and Natsumi Nanashino, based in Tokyo, have engaged in repeated dialogue with Okinawa-based artists Kinasa Chiko and Hayato Machida, and have experienced the local atmosphere firsthand through residencies in Okinawa. This exhibition takes shape as Kina and Machida—who have previously exhibited at Anterum Naha—welcome Sakurai and Nanami, who are presenting their work in Okinawa for the first time.
Although the four artists are based in different locations, their respective creative themes are deeply rooted not only in the places where they live but also in personal contexts such as gender and family lineage. Rather than conforming their expressions to expected roles simply because the exhibition is in Okinawa, they aim to present the urgent themes within each of them in a true-to-life manner. With this intention in mind, the exhibition is titled “The Shape of the Land.”
In Okinawa, the phrase “The Shape of the Land” often evokes the geological and cultural transformations of the islands. However, in this exhibition, it also points to the unique histories sedimented within each artist, as well as the expressions that arise from them—that is, the contours of the individual.
During our dialogues in the creative process, there were moments when discussions threatened to fall back too easily on the structural binary of “Okinawa and the mainland.” However, by acknowledging historical and contemporary imbalances and continuing to exchange views on our differing values and backgrounds, we gained the experience of rediscovering our own standpoint—that is, our own “form.”
We hope that the new values, discoveries, and traces of resistance evident in each work will emerge and quietly spread like ripples. We invite you to come and see for yourself.
SAKURAI AKIRA
NANASHINO NATSUMI
SACHIKO KINA
HAYATO MACHIDA
Web site
About the Kamiyama Foundation
A general incorporated foundation that provides support with the aim of nurturing the next generation of talent who can contribute to society from a global perspective to create a brighter future.
This exhibition is presented with the support of the Kamiyama Foundation's Art Support Program.
Web site
We sincerely look forward to your visit.
[Rental Gallery Inquiries]
Hotel Anteroom Naha GALLERY 9.5 NAHA
info@anteroom-naha.com