2025 Annual Exhibition Schedule

AAEF Art Center Anime Exhibition (Summer)

Anime VS. Contemporary Art

July 26 (Sat) – August 31 (Sun), 2025

Dissolving Boundaries – Anime Narratives and Cross-Disciplinary Dialogue with Contemporary Art

This exhibition explores how anime culture has permeated and prompted the reconfiguration of contemporary art through the creative practices of the participating artists. It examines the intersections of modern digital technologies with traditional techniques, and the engagement of social issues, while re-evaluating how anime elements transcend subcultural symbols to evolve into forms of artistic expression rich in critique and philosophical depth. The exhibition aims to visualize the symbiotic relationship between subculture and mainstream art systems.

Participating Artists (Listed in the order of confirmed participation) :
Shingo IGUCHI
Shoko HIROSE
Ryo TESHIMA
Shina SATO
Ouma
Eito
Mirai MIZUE
Haruosaki
Hiroki KURASAWA
Naomao Nikki

AAEF Art Center Academic Exhibition (Autumn)

Solo Exhibition: Tsuyoshi Maekawa – Cotton Cloth

September 13 (Sat) – December 15 (Mon), 2025

GUTAI Art Association (1954–1972) was a major artistic movement that emerged in the Kansai region in 1954 and left a lasting legacy in art history.
Led by Jiro Yoshihara, it was a large collective of artists. Yoshihara was the central and absolute figure of GUTAI, and in the Gutai Art Manifesto (1957), he wrote: “The human spirit and matter stand in opposition, yet they shake hands.” The unspoken rule among GUTAI members was: “Do what no one has done before. Never imitate others.” Within GUTAI, artists such as Kazuo Shiraga, Atsuko Tanaka, and Sadamasa Motonaga are considered the first generation, while Takeyasu Matsutani, Shuji Mukai, and Tsuyoshi Maekawa belong to the second generation. Since the initials of their names all begin with “M,” they were called the “3M”, and both group and solo exhibitions were held at the Pinacotheca.

As part of an ongoing effort to recontextualize the history of contemporary Asian art, AAEF Art Center in Shanghai will host a major solo exhibition of Tsuyoshi Maekawa as its autumn academic exhibition.
Although his works are commonly classified into “pre-Gutai (before 1972)” and “post-Gutai” periods, this exhibition aims to further explore and challenge this periodization.

A special performance titled “Kushakusha-Pon” is also planned for the exhibition’s opening day.

●About Tsuyoshi Maekawa
A second-generation GUTAI abstract artist, Maekawa made his mark by defying traditional frameworks of painting through physical engagement with paint and canvas itself.His creative process liberates paint from merely being “applied,” instead involving actions like pounding, pouring, and tearing—physical gestures that leave direct traces on the support. Through this, he attempts to endow raw materials with a sense of life.His canvases often possess explosive energy and organic rhythms, giving rise to a “living site” that transcends mere abstract expression.
Even after the dissolution of GUTAI, Maekawa has remained active into his 90s, unwavering in his pursuit of a direct dialogue with materials.