EXHIBITIONS

“And Still, I Call it Love”

March 7 (Sat) – April 18 (Sat), 2026

Tokyo International Gallery presents “And Still, I Call it Love,”
a solo exhibition by Ayaka Shirota

Tokyo International Gallery (Shinagawa–Tennoz, Tokyo) is pleased to announce, “And Still, I Call it Love”, a solo exhibition by Ayaka Shirota, on view from Saturday, March 7 to Saturday, April 18, 2026.
Shirota’s artistic practice centers on the inner world of emotions and memory. Drawing from emotional fluctuations, moments of vulnerability, and experiences of trauma encountered in everyday life, Shirota creates vividly colored psychological landscapes that feel bright yet subtly unsettling. Scattered throughout these scenes are figures rendered in charcoal, appearing as soul-like or conceptual presences without physical substance.
For the artist, depicting experiences that include negative emotions is an act of sublimation. Alongside the act of drawing itself, this process of sublimation forms the core of Shirota’s practice.
From this perspective, the exhibition’s theme of “Love” does not emerge abruptly. Rather, it can be read as an affirmation articulated in the present tense—one that has been reached beyond experiences imbued with negativity. In this exhibition, alongside works created on the rectangular canvases the artist has consistently used, Shirota presents new works on roll canvas and plasterboard, marking a significant new direction in their practice.
Through a body of work that approaches “Love” via a diverse range of materials and methods, the exhibition offers a space in which viewers are invited to rediscover the forms of love that surround them and to engage in an intimate, internal dialogue.

＝Exhibition Statement＝

When everything has fallen apart, I wonder what is left in the end.
Just as each person has their own hell, each person also has their own love.
Love takes different forms as it is directed toward a lover, a friend, a family member, or oneself.
At the moment when I felt I might break, I came to know the instant in which love called me back.
Whether life has love or not is not something that can be divided by words.
Both living and dying are possible only because love exists.
In becoming aware of that love shared by all, I have chosen in this exhibition to depict a nameless love that exists within everyone.
— With love

ARTIST PROFILE

Ayaka Shirota

Born in 2001. Currently enrolled in the Mural Painting Studio at Tokyo University of the Arts.
Their practice centers on visualizing emotions, memories, and inner landscapes, and transforming them through the act of creation. Drawing inspiration from emotions that arise through relationships with others and subtle inner fluctuations that emerge in everyday life, their works aim to evoke the viewer’s own memories and feelings. Through this process, they seek to create a space where internal dialogue can unfold. Major solo exhibitions include “I am…” at GALLERY ROOM・A (Tokyo).

OVERVIEW

TITLE: “And Still, I Call it Love”
DATE: March 7 (Sat) – April 18 (Sat), 2026
Opening Hours: 12:00 – 18:00
CLOSED: Sundays, Mondays and Holidays (Tuesdays by appointment only)
By Reservation Only: Tuesday 12:00-18:00 (1-hour slots)
【Reservation Form】 https://b-book.run/@tig0e37257563b82de3
* Please make a reservation at least three days in advance via the link.
* Reservations are required not only for exhibition viewing but also for artwork purchases and media inquiries.
* Please note that we may not always be able to accommodate all reservation requests.
Opening Reception: Date : Saturday, March 7, 2026, 17:00–20:00
Venue : Tokyo International Gallery
Gallery Tour : Saturday, March 7, 2026, 18:30~
VENUE: Tokyo International Gallery
ADDRESS: Tokyo International Gallery
TERRADA ART COMPLEX II 2F,1-32-8 Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Interactive Art Appreciation Session: As part of the opening events, we will host a dialogue-based viewing session.

Dialogue-based viewing is a way of deepening one’s understanding of an artwork through conversation in a small group.

By putting into words what we see and what comes to mind, participants share how they and others perceive the artwork, as well as what they feel and think about it. No specialized knowledge of art is required. By spending time together carefully looking at a single artwork, this 30-minute session offers an opportunity to reflect more deeply on ourselves, on others, and on the exhibition’s theme, “Love.”

The session will be facilitated by a gallerist from Tokyo International Gallery.

Interactive Art Appreciation Session : Saturday, March 7, 2026

(Limited to 5 participants per session)

Advance reservation required

Session 1: 　5:00 PM–

Session 2: 　5:30 PM–
Reservation Method : Please make your reservation through the website listed below.

Your reservation will be considered complete upon receipt of a confirmation email from us.

Reservation Website : https://forms.gle/jZzaeo7j4em7N6KSA

(Please note that registration will close once capacity is reached.)

Reservation Period : Tuesday, February 10 ~ Friday, March 6, 2026

Press Release(PDF)