Atelier U+Me | The artist creates own studio gallery | Kota | Oneness Artist
In an old Japanese-style room of an unused apartment in Tokyo,
I personally renovated the space to turn it into a studio for painting.
Although still incomplete, the 12-tatami space has already begun functioning as a studio.
Recently, I’ve been creating my works here.
With the larger workspace,
my artworks have naturally grown bigger and more expansive.
I feel that people adapt to their environment
and create in harmony with it.
This room was originally home to a kind elderly couple.
After they moved out, the space sat empty for several years,
left untouched as time quietly passed.
When I opened the door,
it was filled with nicotine stains, mold, dust, dirt, clutter,
and countless memories.
Between my regular work,
I spent my time cleaning, decluttering, throwing out garbage,
and painting over and over again.
Before I realized it,
nearly a year had passed.
The amount of work and time required was far beyond my imagination,
and there were many times when I almost gave up.
Now, while still retaining some of the old charm,
the room has completely transformed into something different.
I have experienced both the “difficulty” and the “importance”
of consistently doing the small, seemingly insignificant tasks.
It’s a feeling I have tasted simultaneously.
And I named this space
Atelier U+Me
(Atelier You and Me)
The name has several meanings:
UME (Ume)
= Originally, a person named Umeki used to live here.
U ME (Yume)
= A place where dreams can be realized.
U (You) + Me (I)
= A place for meeting people.
And so on.
I’m not sure how long this place, Atelier U+Me, will exist,
but as the name suggests,
I plan to eventually open the atelier to the public and use it as an art gallery.
Though still uncertain,
I hope to hold a solo exhibition and open the atelier sometime in 2023,
if the timing is right.
When that happens, it will likely be for a limited period,
so if the timing works for you, please come visit.
Not only will you be able to see the works up close,
but you will also experience the very place where the art is created.
If the timing works out, you might even be able to see the creative process in action!
See you again.
