Photo: Tanguy Beurdeley ©2023 ob/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin

Profile

Born in 1992, ob is one of the leading figures amongst the artists who emerged as part of Japan’s SNS generation in 2010. Whilst she was a university student in Kyoto, she organized and curated several local exhibitions after reaching out to other artists her age through the illustration communication service ‘pixiv’. This culminated in the exhibition “Wassyoi” for which she received much attention and acclaim. The name “Wassyoi” itself stems from the chant used by revelers in Japanese street festivals.

ob is also part of the new generation of artists who grew up in an environment where video games and social media have always been part of daily life, and she often draws wide-eyed young girl in a delicate, atmospheric space.These girls are set against imagined sceneries where they seem isolated from the rest of the world, giving the impression that the main story lies just beyond the painting’s frame.

ob collaborated with renowned cosmetics line shu uemura in 2013, and participated in a collaboration with Mika Ninagawa on the director’s drama series “Followers” in 2020. Her works continue to be featured numerous shows and art fairs, both inside the country and overseas.

Career
2010 Graduated from Kyoto Art Senior High School
1992 Born
Solo Exhibitions
2024 “Water Line” Perrotin(Hong Kong, China)
2023 “Adjacent Existences” Kaikai Kiki Gallery(Tokyo, Japan)
2022 “Miniature Garden” Perrotin (Seoul, Korea)
2021 “Your, My, Story” Perrotin (New York, USA)
2020 “Spiral and Spring” Kaikai Kiki Gallery(Tokyo, Japan)
2017 “Lights Shimmering Between Realms” Kaikai Kiki Gallery(Tokyo, Japan)
2013 “Heavenly Creatures” Kaikai Kiki Gallery(Tokyo, Japan)
2011 “Fragrance” Kaikai Kiki Gallery Taipei(Taipei, Taiwan)
“Oblaat” Hong Kong International Art Fair(Hong Kong, China)
“Respiration” Kaikai Kiki Gallery(Tokyo, Japan)
2010 “Houwa” 0000 Gallery(Kyoto, Japan)
Group Exhibitions
2022 “Roppongi Art Night 2022” Kaikai Kiki Gallery(Tokyo, Japan)
“HEAD IN THE CLOUDS” Perrotin (Tokyo, Japan)
2021 “2021 Kaikai Kiki Autumn Show” Kaikai Kiki Gallery (Tokyo, Japan)
“HEALING x HEALING” Kaikai Kiki Gallery (Tokyo, Japan)
“Healing” Perrotin (Shanghai, China)
“Healing” Perrotin (Seoul, Korea)
2019 “2019 Kaikai Kiki Summer Show” Kaikai Kiki Gallery(Tokyo, Japan)
2014 “Bishojo: Young Pretty Girls in Art History” Museum of National Taipei University of Education (Taipei, Taiwan)
2012 “ob, JNTHED, Haruka Makita” Hidari Zingaro Berlin(Berlin, Germany)
2010 “Graduate Exhibition Of Kyoto Art High Schools” Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art(Kyoto, Japan)
“Artists Night Vol.1” 0000 Gallery(Kyoto, Japan)
“ART FAIR FREE” VACANT(Tokyo, Japan)
“Chaos Lounge 2010 “ Hibiya Takahashi Collection(Tokyo, Japan)
“¥2010 exhibition -Spring 2010” 0000 Gallery(Kyoto, Japan)
“¥2010 exhibition -Summer-“ Dojidai Gallery(Kyoto, Japan)
“The World Next Door” Kaikai Kiki Gallery Taipei (Taipei, Taiwan)
Curated Exhibitions
2020 “neo wassyoi” Hidari Zingaro (Tokyo, Japan)
2010 “wassyoi” Kaleidoscope Museum of Kyoto Gallery (Kyoto, Japan)
“wassyoi+” 0000 Gallery (Kyoto, Japan)
“wassyoi #” 0000 Gallery (Kyoto, Japan)