“Sparkling Metal Lines: Beautiful Signals” Ueno Forest Solo Exhibition Report

With his career as a designer in the background, Wakamatsu Takashi is developing a unique expression that can be described as an installation by fusing a material called metal with graphics. I will report on the solo exhibition held in April at the “Ueno Royal Museum”, which is one of the core organizations of Ueno Onshi Park, and was visited by over 1000 people.

Solo exhibition name: Takashi Wakamatsu solo exhibition “Sparkling Metal Lines: Beautiful Signals”
Period: 2025/4/15 (Tue) -21 (Mon)
Venue: Ueno Royal Museum Annex Gallery

 Discover the beauty of everyday life, 7 extraordinary days

The “Ueno Royal Museum” is a “royal museum” representing Japan, with a history since Meiji 9. A solo exhibition by Takashi Wakamatsu was held at the annex gallery.
Starting with an exhibition in France in 2019, this exhibition attracted attention in countries such as Singapore, Dubai, and New York, and a total of 16 works by up-and-coming artists who also exhibited at the international art fair VOLTA BASEL 2024 last year were exhibited.
Works that capture the beauty hidden in everyday life with a unique method of expression shimmered in the woods of Ueno.

A world of works created with an entire space

Mr. Wakamatsu's expression combines graphics and thin, sharp lines drawn by metal scratches to capture and present the beauty of various phenomena that ripple around us, such as water, air flickering, and sound. Along with the flickering light shining into the gallery, the entire space was enveloped in the world of the work.
A former art buyer praised Wakamatsu's work as “a no-gender work that can be enjoyed by many people regardless of country or environment.” It was a comment that convinced me that it conveyed exactly what the artist wanted to express.

Held in Tokyo, which is bustling with inbound tourists

The gallery, located in the bustling spring Urarakana Onshi Park, was crowded with a variety of people, from foreign tourists to students, and people in suits that seemed to be in between jobs.
Among those who entered because they were attracted by the appeal of the work, there were also many people who seriously appreciated it while translating the panels written in Japanese and English into their own languages with smartphones.

Disseminating information to foreign visitors to Japan

Wakamatsu's art can be enjoyed regardless of cultural background. In order to reach a wide range of people, event information was distributed in Japanese and English to multiple targets, such as those interested in art, those looking for plans to go out, and foreigners visiting Japan.

Visitors' Voices

・I once again felt that art is free. All of them were wonderful works, and my heart was enriched.

・This is my first time seeing a work like this. It is a modern work using classical techniques. It was expressive and impressive.

・It was a mysterious work, like being in the water, in a forest falling in the rain, and it was wonderful.

・It was like waking up from a long nap and feeling the sun's rays through the trees and my eyelids.

・The impression seems to change depending on the viewing time and weather. Even though it was metal, I felt warm.

・The lines were shining, and I thought it was very beautiful. I felt like I was watching an invisible wind.

・The light and wind are expressed, and it's wonderful!! It is expressed by capturing a moment from everyday life, so it seemed like a scene from my everyday life was expressed there, and there was something that stuck in my mind. I, too, can't forget that moment, and I'm happy that you expressed it in this way.

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