DIRECTOR
General Director
Choji Nakahodo
PROFILE
Born on Ishigaki Island in 1959, he has been the general director of the "Yanbaru Art Festival" since 2017.
With the beauty of Ryukyu and Okinawa's ancient shadows and sense of colors as his main theme, he engages in free expression activities regardless of genre, like photography, design, video, and calligraphy. His major works include "Suderu – Ryukyu Baru Metamorphose –" (Yanbaru Art Festival 2018-2019), "Suderu Umarekawaru" (Kyoto International Film Festival 2019 Art Division), Island Cat Movie "Nyaha!" (2018) , A documentary film "Us 4 IRIOMOTE-Namasei Ryuten" on the theme of nature and life on Nishi-Omotesando (released on YouTube in 2021).
ART
DIRECTOR
Art Director
Mitsuo Shindo
PROFILE
Born in 1948 in Tokyo. Art director, video director, photographer.
After working at a design office and an advertising production company, he started working on his own in 1977.
In the mid-80s, he founded Contemporary Productions (until 2011).
He has produced over 1,000 CD jackets for leading contemporary Japanese musicians such as Yumi Matsutoya, Pizzicato Five, Mr. Children, and MISIA.
He also directs music videos and corporate commercials and is also a calligrapher.
COMMENT
Hajichi is an old custom in Okinawa but is now a dying culture.
Human life is fleeting, and nothing lasts forever.
Hands with the disappearing culture of hajichi tattoos are trying to protect the bougainvillea.
Bougainvillea is a symbol of nature in Okinawa and also a symbol of love and passion.
In this visual, I hope that the nature of Okinawa and the passion and love in me will not fade away even if the times change.
DIRECTOR OF
EXHIBITIONS
DIRECTOR OF EXHIBITIONS
Takahiro Kaneshima
PROFILE
Born in Tokyo in 1977, he enrolled in the doctoral program at the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Kyoto City University of Arts.
He conducts practical research on collaboration in creation, mainly focusing on contemporary arts and crafts and the folk-art movement.
In addition, he works on art projects, exhibitions, exchange projects, research studies, and more in the East Asian region in such locations as Yokohama, Beijing, Taipei, Chengdu, Kyoto, etc. He has been the Executive Director of "Art Fair Tokyo" (2011-2015), art director (2016-17), and "Art Collaboration Kyoto" program director for the past 21 years successively.
COMMENT
Six years of the Yanbaru Art Festival.
The northern part of Okinawa (Yanbaru), the location of the venue, has been registered as a World Natural Heritage Site along with Amami Oshima, Tokunoshima, and Iriomote Island.
Furthermore, as there will be even more art festivals in Okinawa this year, such as an art project connecting Iriomote Island and Yanbaru, we are taking on the challenge of expanding our efforts.
In addition, the Yanbaru Art Festival will be held with the theme of creating opportunities for artists to experiment with what they want to do while taking advantage of the geographical characteristics and keeping a little distance from the context of today's mainstream contemporary art. As we continue, this year's program is packed with various collaborative programs, such as the artists' proposed works, projects, units, and group exhibitions.
So please come to the Yanbaru Art Festival, where the wind blows warmly and pleasantly, even in the winter.
CURATOR OF THE
CRAFT DIVISION
CURATOR OF THE CRAFT DIVISION
Miki Mugishima
Tesuya Mugishima
PROFILE
He has run a specialty shop, "PORTRIVER MARKET," in a former foreign residential area for foreigners in Minatogawa, Urasoe City, since 2013. "Portriver" is the direct English translation of "Minatogawa." In addition to crafts collected from all over Okinawa, they also make many original products, including accessories and food., He has been the curator of the craft section of the Yanbaru Art Festival since 2020.
COMMENT
In line with the central theme of this year's craft market, "Connecting the islands, echoing the islands," we have selected a variety of works from Yanbaru, as well as from the north to the south of the main island of Okinawa, by familiar artists who are always exhibiting, to some who finally responded to the love calls we have been sending for a long time, And you can enjoy a lineup that mixes old and new, including new artists who have not yet appeared in public.
Also, this year, we will hold a special exhibition in memory of Living National Treasure Toshiko Taira, who contributed to the revival and development of Kijoka Bashofu, a traditional Okinawan craft.
In addition to selling small items from the Bashofu workshop that visitors have enjoyed since the first time we participated, we plan to introduce Toshiko Taira's life and the way of life in Yanbaru.
This year’s festival will take place over a long time, so we would be happy if you could visit again and again.
COMMENT
Besides having the meaning of "island," the word "shima" includes the meaning of "community."
In Okinawa, it also means the area where you were born, and the island sake (Awamori) is also affectionately called "shima."
The Yanbaru Art Festival has brought a variety of arts to the island of Okinawa since 2017 and is now able to welcome its 6th event.
Also, this year, various artists from Okinawa, Japan, and worldwide gather here to create art expressing their passion.
The kanji character for this year's theme, "Hibiki," means people gather in one place to face each other, sympathize, and harmonize. So let's create the arts of "Shimajima (Island community)" as individuals from various regions meet in Yanbaru, connect, and loudly play together.