MUSE TAKING A SHIT

KENTARO OKAWARA
APR 26, 2025 - JUL 13, 2025
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DIESEL ART GALLERY(ディーゼル・アート・ギャラリー)では、2024年5月18日(土)から7月3日(水)まで、アーティスト水戸部七絵(ミトべ・ナナエ)による個展「People Have The Power」を開催します。


「People Have The Power」は、ロックスターやミュージシャンをモチーフとした作品群を展示する水戸部七絵の人気シリーズの第5弾となります。これまでに「Rock is Dead」、「War is not over」、「Let’s Have a Dream!」、「Sit-In」と題した展示を開催し、ロックの象徴や音楽の力に焦点を当てた作品を発表してきました。


「People Have The Power」は、個々の人々が持つ力や、集団としての力、アートや音楽が社会変革に果たす役割など、鑑賞者に深い思考を促す機会を与えるでしょう。


本展覧会では新作の展示・販売をはじめ、DIESELとコラボレーションによるTシャツや関連グッズも販売します。


CONCEPT 

この世を去ったスターたちは、時代が変わるごとにニュースや社会的問題に取り上げられ、再考察されます。これまで絶対的、または普遍的なものであった権威や常識、定説までもが変わるのです。BLM以降、ジェンダーや様々な人種、植民地の歴史など、マイノリティ間の構造は、ポートレートを常に描いてきた水戸部にとって、重要なトピックとなります。


「People Have The Power」では、ベトナム反戦や黒人差別、世間の偏見と戦った人物や、平和を求める活動に大きな足跡を残した人々が登場します。こうした戦う人々を描いた作品の多くは、実際に直接対象となる顔を見て描いたのではなく、メディアに登場するスターや著名人のイメージを間接的に描写したものです。そのため、雑誌の表紙やレコード・ジャケットのような、メディア経由の複製物としてのモチーフが描かれています。


会場は闘いや情熱を表す赤色で構成され、水戸部が直接的に「落書き的」なペインティングを施し、空間全体が渋谷のストリート・カルチャーと交差するように演出されています。


音楽とアートによる非暴力的な戦いを表現したDJブースによるインスタレーション作品は、レコードや楽器が散乱し、まるで喧嘩や抗争の場面を想起させます。時に悲惨な状況を伝えるものでもありますが、抵抗する人々の側に立つポジティブなメッセージとなり得ます。


A large-scale solo exhibition featuring over 50 works by Kentaro Okawara, themed around love and everyday life, is being held at DIESEL ART GALLERY.



DIESEL ART GALLERY will present MUSE TAKING A SHIT, a solo exhibition by KENTARO OKAWARA from April 26th (Sat) to July 13th (Sun), 2025.


Currently based in Seoul, OKAWARA has been actively showcasing his works internationally, focusing on painting and sculpture while also engaging in product design and various collaborations. He has long explored the belief that creating art is an expression of love and a means of connection.


This exhibition will feature approximately 50 new works, primarily focusing on oil paintings, which he has been exploring since moving to Korea about two years ago. A significant portion of these works consists of female portraits, reflecting the deep relationship he shares with his partner, who plays a central role in his daily life. This connection ultimately inspired the exhibition’s concept, MUSE TAKING A SHIT.


Statement

"It feels natural to paint the people closest to me, yet their beauty and loveliness shift and flow each day, never quite within my grasp. But by capturing fleeting moments and subtle realizations without overthinking, I believe I can get closer to a more pure, imperfect, and natural understanding of both the subject and myself—and perhaps even the world. As for the title, I honestly could have named it anything, but the door happened to open while she was using the toilet, and that moment struck me as particularly memorable." — KENTARO OKAWARA


As a way of making sense of this complex world, OKAWARA engages with his family and friends, expressing his emotions through painting. By sharing his work, he invites viewers into a dialogue, encouraging them to reflect on what is truly essential in their lives. Just as he has been deeply influenced by other artists, he believes in the profound and meaningful power of transforming personal experiences and emotions into artistic expression. OKAWARA presents emotions that shift between lightheartedness and depth, challenging viewers to interpret his work through their own lens. Regardless of borders, age, or background, each viewer will see something unique in the world he depicts.


This exhibition will feature new works available for viewing and purchase, along with limited edition merchandise created specifically for the exhibition. There will also be collaborative T-shirts with DIESEL available for purchase. Workshops will also be held during the exhibition period. Further information will be available on the official website and social media.

BIOGRAPHY

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KENTARO OKAWARA

https://kentarookawara.net

https://www.instagram.com/kentarookawara


Lives and works in Seoul, Korea

Since graduating from the College of Arts, Tokyo Polytechnic University in 2011, Okawara has been exhibited internationally and had some art books published and making products. Okawara's work explores his long held belief that making art is an expression of love and a means to connect with each other. Each piece presents a surreal yet familiar cast of characters; a cocktail of humans, creatures, and personified objects interact with each other in intimate and bizarre ways to create a world that can be endearingly engaged by all. Within Okawara’s world of bright colours and stylised motifs he addresses the importance of direct eye-to-eye and face-to-face communication. In this digital age where we seem to exchange our thoughts and feelings primarily over the Internet, Okawara’s work encourages us to think again, cast aside our differences and re-connect to our shared humanity.

VIEW ARTWORKS

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©KENTARO OKAWARA 

DIESEL × KENTARO OKAWARA

In commemoration of the exhibition “MUSE TAKING A SHIT”, DIESEL and KENTARO OKAWARA collaborative T-shirts will be on sale.

Color : White / Black
Price: ¥17,600
Release date: 2025.4.26(Sat)
Retailer: DIESEL SHIBUYA, DIESEL Official online store

* The image is for illustrative purposes only. The design and specifications may differ from the actual product in some cases.
*Release dates may change.

EXHIBITION GOODS

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Exhibition limited goods will be available at the gallery and online.

ONLINE STORE

INFORMATION

Title: MUSE TAKING A SHIT

Artist: KENTARO OKAWARA

Dates: 2025.4.26(Sat)-7.13(Sun)

Venue: DIESEL ART GALLERY

Address: cocoti DIESEL SHIBUYA B1F, 1-23-16 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

TEL: 03-6427-5955

Hours: 11:30 - 20:00

Admission: Free

Online Store: https://dieselartgallery.stores.jp

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dieselartgallery

X: https://x.com/dieselart

Exhibition Hashtags: #kentarookawara #dieselartgallery

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