SICF CAFE

Ruri Clarkson is a visual artist whose narrative pieces playfully explore nuances of feminist issues. She depicts fantastic worlds, often referencing motifs from Chinese embroidery, East-European folk art and Ukiyo-e. She is based in Tokyo after picking up embroidery in Hong Kong. She has exhibited in Spiral, Shinjuku Isetan, H.P.France usagi pour toi, and contributed illustrations for major department stores, art centers and a lingerie brand. In 2013 she held a solo show entitled IMPOSING WORDS – contemporary family issues, at NIDI gallery. She exhibited works that took keywords from family life and women's identity and recast as decorative embroidered works containing puns and wordplay. She is a graduate of Keio University and a recipient of the Semi-Grand Prize of SICF14.

Image : Ruri Clarkson, “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” (2015), Cotton cloth, embroidery thread
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Born in 1980 in Aichi.
2006　Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Design
2008　Completed master course at the Department of Design, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts
Prizes
2007　SICF8 Grand Prize
2008　Tokyo University of the Arts Completion Work Purchase Award
2017 Independent Tokyo Grand Prix

In his most recent paintings, Sato uses acrylic paint on top of the image he drew with pencil to render details of the image partially invisible. In his paintings, eyes which can read emotions and opinions are always masked, enhancing the mysterious impression.
The key concept of the artist is that the real exists in the invisible.

Image : Naritaka Satoh, “Laying Baby” (2007), Pencil, charcoal pencil, acrylic on paper
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Born in Tokyo in 1988. Juekitaro is an illustrator, painter and manga artist who uses as motif, familiar insects and other living things. In 2015, he won the Audience Award at SICF16 (the 16th edition of Spiral Independent Creators Festival) and in 2016, a Special Award at the 19th Taro Okamoto Memorial Award for Contemporary Art.　Being popular on Twitter and Instagram, with more than 300,000 followers for his easy going and lovely illustrations “Yurufuwa Insect Picture Book”, he has also materially published illustrated books “Yurufuwa Insect Picture Book (Yurufuwa konchu zukan)”, edited by : TAKARAJIMASHA, “Surprising Insects Caricatures Encyclopedia (Sugoi mushi zukan)”, Co-authored by Souri Maruyama / Oizumi Shoten and “We are easygoing in life (Bokura wa yuruku ikiteiru)”, edited by KADOKAWA.
Recently he has been in charge of the insect illustrations for Shogakukan NEO picture book and published in various newspapers in Japan. Since 2017, in collaboration with Spiral, he uses illustrations to depict Spiral latest activities in a regular corner called “The Yurufuwa frog’s Spiral exploration” on Spiral Twitter.　　※ Yurufuwa = Easygoing and lovely

Image : Juekitaro, “The Yurufuwa frog’s Spiral exploration (original)” (May 2017~), Watercolor on paper
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Born in 1982. Graduated from the department of Imaging Art (Tokyo Polytechnic University) in 2006.
Prizes : Grand Prize at the 20th Spiral Creators Independent Festival, and the Shiosaito Prize at Shiodome Expo 2010. Solo exhibitions : "Kirihirahiraku" (Cutting and Fluttering Open), Showcase (Spiral 1F), Tokyo, 2020; "henshin", Sunshine Observatory SKY CIRCUS, Tokyo, 2018. Other works : MV of Naoto Inti Raymi's song "shiori" (2018), Special Movie for the 10 years of Shiseido make-up brand "MAJOLICA MAJORCA" (2013) and other commercials.

Image : tanaka macoto, “Spiral Paper First Issue Art Work (original)” (2020), Japanese paper-cutting
Photo : Saori Tao
Website

Hidemasa Fujii, “Stain #12 (mesh)” (2008), LED, Acrylic case, Mixed media

1983　Born in Osaka
2009　M.A. L’Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Visuels de La Cambre, Belgium
2016 “Nous -sewing and living-”21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art Kanazawa(Kanazawa, Japan)
2015 “Feeling of existence”Wacoal Corp. Head office, Kyoto
2015 “Why did I laugh tonight? Saori MIYAKE ・Masami YAMAMOTO”Gallery OUT of PLACE TOKIO
2014 “Spiral Independent Creators Festival Grand Prize Artist’s Exhibition ”UTSUSHIMI” ”Spiral, Tokyo
2013 “Art Project Idea ２０１３”Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Hiroshima

From my thinking concerning the raw material of ceramic and the creation process, this series of pieces uses ceramic material as a memory medium that match very well our human existence through its strong presence and brittleness. In this work, I borrowed the models, from women friends of the same generation as me. At the same time, they answered some questions about their private life. At first glance, these questions may look out of context but they in fact concern their private daily lives and also their unconsciousness. By sculpting these intimate clothes worn very nearly form their body, I reproduce and record their memories in ceramic. I’d like to touch people feeling concerning ‘’LIFE’’.

Image : Masami Yamamoto, “Feeling of existence -brassiere” (2015), Ceramics
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