Chitose Saegusa New! Review

"She is difficult to work with," admits one gallery curator who requested anonymity. "She once canceled an entire exhibition because the wall color was 'two degrees too warm in its whiteness.' But that is why her work is flawless." While Chitose Saegusa is not a social media artist (she owns a flip-phone and has no Instagram), her influence is visible in the next generation. Artists like Shiori Narita and Miki Yokoyama cite Saegusa’s use of architectural space and psychological decay as direct inspiration.

For the connoisseur of Japanese art, for the student of psychological space, or for the casual viewer looking for beauty that disturbs rather than comforts, offers an experience that cannot be replicated, and cannot be scrolled past. Chitose Saegusa

Unlike many of her peers who studied Western oil painting at Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku), Saegusa initially trained in (Japanese-style painting). This traditional discipline, which uses mineral pigments ( iwa-enogu ), glue ( nikawa ), and washi paper, would become the technical backbone of her career. However, she quickly became frustrated with the rigid subject matter of classical Nihonga—flowers, birds, and historical landscapes. "She is difficult to work with," admits one

Her primary gallery representation is in Kyoto and ShugoArts in Tokyo. She is notoriously selective about her exhibitions. She has never had a solo show in New York or London, preferring the intimate, contemplative spaces of traditional Japanese kura (storehouses) converted into galleries. For the connoisseur of Japanese art, for the