“じゆう~FREEDOM~“ New Art Prospects: Artists From Japan Series XII, 2025 Curated by Sai Morikawa

”Atelier II ”  Chieka Uruga, 130.3cm x 162cm , oil on canvas, 2025

"Passionate” Kazumi  Okamura, 78cm ×:59.5cm, Ink on paper

“Cloud III~ Leisurely “ K. Junko, 90cm x 68cm , Digital work on paper, 2025 

“Crossroads” Kozy, 39cm x 47cm, Ink, photography, mixed media on canvas, 2025 

= ARTISTS =

Chieka Uruga / K.Junko / Kazumi Okamura / Kozy / Ku Watanabe

Maiko Kanzaki / Mi2zuk / Miki Iwasa / Miwako K. / Monzo Watanabe

Morihiro Okamoto / O. Arata  / S.Mirai / Shingo Hayamizu

Shino～murasakino～ / Tomomi Kato / Tomoyo Kawasuji

Toshiaki Kitada / Yuki Hanaya / Yuko Sato

Chelsea, NYC: Viridian Artists is pleased to present “New Art Prospects: Artists from Japan Series XII 2025,“じゆうーFreedom” curated by Sai Morikawa. This exhibition will be on view from August 11 to August 23, 2025. An Opening Reception on Thursday August 14, 5:30–7:30pm.

“New Arts Prospect: Artists from Japan Series,” an ongoing art series that quietly forged acultural bridge between Japan and New York City—the global capital of contemporary art—hasentered its twelfth year. The initiative remains steadfast in amplifying the voices of Japanese artists seeking broader international visibility. Its 2025 theme, “Freedom,” is as much a meditation as it is a provocation.

Here, “freedom” is re-imagined not as a fixed ideal, but as a fluid, multifaceted concept—one encompassing creative agency, personal autonomy, and the fragile promise of possibility in an increasingly uncertain world. In a digital age defined by hyper-connectivity, the very tools that enable global discourse have also given rise to fragmentation, misinformation, and ideological isolation. Within this tension, art offers a critical space—one where freedom can be questioned, visualized, and redefined.

The exhibition returns to Viridian Artists Gallery, a site that has long served as more than a mere venue. This marks the seventh iteration of the Japanese artist showcase at the space. Established in the 1960s and run by a consortium of architects, designers, curators, and artists, the gallery has earned its reputation as a sanctuary for progressive thought and experimental practice. Its decades-long history of fostering ambitious and boundary-pushing talent continues to resonate within the wider art community.

In a post-pandemic landscape, the art world has been forced to adapt—and evolve. Virtual exhibitions have become a parallel stage, no longer supplemental but integral. This year’s presentation embraces that duality, combining in-person works with a 3D virtual experience designed to reach audiences both local and global. What results is a hybrid model that speaks to the fluid nature of engagement in our time. Set against a cultural backdrop marked by porous borders, shifting values, and contested meanings, the exhibition resists easy interpretation. It does more than display work—it introduces a conversation. Through distinct visual languages, participating Japanese artists compel viewers to reconsider what it means to be free, in forms that are as visually diverse as they are intellectually charged.

More than an exhibition, this event operates as a platform for international cultural dialogue. It charts the evolving trajectory of Japan’s contemporary art scene while offering space for new talent to emerge. In a city that thrives on the collision of perspectives, “Freedom” arrives not as a statement, but as an open-ended question—one that artists, and viewers, are asked to answer together.

A special thanks to Mr. Terence Accola for his outstanding work on the beautiful gallery display layout.