©FASHION HEADLINE
"TADANOBU ASANO EXHIBITION PLAY WITH PAIN(T)", a solo art exhibition by Tadanobu Asano, an actor and artist with a unique presence, will be held for five days from April 2nd to 6th, 2025, at the event hall on the 6th floor of the main building of Isetan Shinjuku in Tokyo. This exhibition will be Tadanobu Asano's first large-scale solo exhibition at Isetan Shinjuku, and will be the largest one to date.
「No.113」 cardboard 72cm×118cm ©ASANO TADANOBU
Tadanobu Asano has been actively involved in art activities in parallel with his career as an actor, and has held solo exhibitions at the Watari Museum of Contemporary Art and Parco Art Gallery in the past. In 2018, he published his own art book "Error" through Little More, expanding the scope of his diverse expressions. This exhibition will display over 200 pieces, including selected works from the vast body of work he has created to date, as well as new works. In addition, for the first time, original drawings that have never been available for sale will be on sale.
「No.018」 watercolor painting 27.5×21.4cm ©ASANO TADANOBU
Asano says that while continuing his work as an actor, he began to calm his mind by drawing engrossedly during the long waiting times for film. In particular, during the filming of the 2013 film "The Disappearance of Luomandi", he found himself facing language and cultural barriers in a foreign land, and drawing became a new means of self-expression. Since then, he has continued to create one piece of work a day, sometimes four or five a day, for over ten years, and has produced a huge number of works to date, totaling more than 3,500 pieces.
「No.062」 Drawing 37×24cm©ASANO TADANOBU
Asano says, "Paintings and art are encounters with emotions, and always give me the hints I need." This exhibition will feature a collection of works that dynamically express the energy hidden deep within emotions, based on the theme of "PLAY WITH PAIN(T)," which is the basis of Asano's art. Through the form of painting, a special space will be created that stimulates the emotions of each viewer.
I once held a drawing workshop for children. I handed out small notebooks and said, "Draw anything you like." While everyone was busy drawing flowers, trees, houses, and people, there was one child who just kept filling his notebook in red.
Maybe he just doesn't have the motivation, or maybe he just can't think of anything. No matter how many pages I turn, the pages are all just painted red.
Not wanting to say anything unnecessary, I asked, "What are you drawing?" The child looked straight at me and said, "Autumn!"
I couldn't say anything. I felt ashamed of myself for thinking that the child hadn't drawn anything, with my strange adult sensibility. In one book that was painted red, the child had been drawing "Autumn" with all his might. There was definitely a picture of autumn there.
Why does this move me so much?
Perhaps that is what paintings, art, are. An encounter with a painting, whether it is an instantaneous shock or a calm, is also an encounter with emotion.
You may feel happy, excited, shocked, shaken, discover something new, relieved, want to cry, or energized.
Life often doesn't go as planned, but I have lived by drawing, touching and playing with paintings.― PLAY WITH PAIN(T)
Please feel free to feel as you please in this space. Just enjoy the paintings by Tadanobu Asano. I hope you will have a wonderful encounter.
― Tadanobu Asano
Tadanobu Asano ©ASANO TADANOBU
Tadanobu Asano（浅野忠信）
Born in Yokohama in 1973.
He made his acting debut in a TV drama in 1988, and also worked as a model and musician.
He made his silver screen debut in 1990 with "Bataashi Kingyo" and has since developed into a distinctive actor, appearing in films by Shunji Iwai, Shinji Aoyama, and Hirokazu Koreeda. He gained fame in "Gojoe: Spirit War Chronicles" (2000) and won the Japan Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for "Zatoichi" (2003) and "Kaabee" (2008).He began appearing in foreign films early on, and has received numerous awards, including the Best Actor Award at the Venice International Film Festival's Controcorrente section for The Last Man on Earth (2003, directed by Pen-ek Ratanaruang).He played the role of Kashiwagi Yabuju in the TV drama series "SHOGUN," which began airing in 2024, and became the first Japanese to win the award for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Drama at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards.
©ASANO TADANOBU
TADANOBU ASANO EXHIBITION PLAY WITH PAIN(T)
Period: Wednesday, April 2, 2025 to Sunday, April 6, 2025, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm each day
Ends Wednesday, April 2nd at 3pm / Final day ends Sunday, April 6th at 6pm
Venue: Isetan Shinjuku Main Building 6th floor event hall
Admission fee: Free
https://www.mistore.jp/shopping/event/shinjuku_e/tadanobuasanoexhibition_10
For inquiries, please contact：
Isetan Shinjuku Store.
Phone number: 03-3352-1111
