Asai uses motifs that are the root units of living creatures: “people,” “animals” and “plants.” His pieces are free-spirited but delicate and dynamic, giving viewers a comfortable sense of vitality and freedom. Asai draws continually in his daily life, resulting in drawings that seem to naturally pour forth from his very being.

Asai's pieces do not fit into the traditional concept and framework of painting, ranging from: pieces drawn with pen and ink; to the “Masking Plant,”a piece created by attaching masking tape drawn by marker pens to a wall; to the “Mud Painting,” a piece created by using locally collected soil and soils of differing colors to draw; to drawings that are created by using lines that emerge from erasing grime and dirt off wall surfaces; to pieces using ropes or white lines on roads. Asai freely uses materials found in his surroundings to produce new expressions one after the other.

Asai's daily feelings and thoughts as he constantly produces art causes his mind and body to directly link to his “life force.” This unlimited interest and desire toward drawing captures the essence of Asai's art.

Asai's recent participation in domestic and overseas museum exhibitions has been striking: Jogja National Museum (2008 Indonesia), Seoul Museum of Art (2009 Seoul, Korea), The 4th Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale 2009 (Fukuoka Asian Art Museum), The Museum of Modern Art, Gunma (2009), and Contemporary Art Gallery, Art Tower (2008 Mito, Ibaraki). He has also taken part in art projects such as the “Hiroshima Art Project 2008” and “Akasaka Art Flower 2008.” Last year, he won the Ohara Museum of Art Award at the Committee for the Exhibition “VOCA 2009,” which is considered to be the gateway for success for young artists working in one-dimensional pieces. Asai's range of activities continues to expand.

Asai has continued to present his work this year, beginning with the "Wall Art Festival," which used an Indian elementary school as its venue. Along with the upcoming exhibition at ARATANIURANO, Asai's work will also be featured in: a solo exhibition at the Mitsubishi Jisho ARTIUM (Fukuoka, 6/12-7/11) entitled “Shopping”, “Kohan no Genshikankaku Bujutsu ten” (Nishimaru Shinya Memorial Hall, etc. Nagano, 8/1-31), and the “Aichi Triennale 2010” (Nagoya, 8/21-10/31).

The upcoming exhibition will mainly feature Asai's recent works from his “people” series and drawings with plant motifs. Also, the “Kami-denwa Live” series by “Kikimimi,” Asai’s unit with Yuuhei Saitou, will be shown as part of his visual art pieces to be consecutively presented through this year's planned exhibitions (at the Mitsubishi Jisho ARTIUM, ARATANIURANO, and Aichi Triennale). Additionally, there will be a special live performance, "Kami-denwa Live," on September 3rd.

* The text provided by ARATANIURANO.

Opened dates: July 23 - September 4, 2010