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Notes presents the life of Art San Gallery — its exhibitions, research, and encounters with artists in Japan and abroad.


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Yves Millet: A Master of Pastel on Shikishi
French painter and pastel artist Yves Millet has long been inspired by the delicate balance between abstraction and evocation. His recent series of works on Japanese shikishi boards continues this exploration, offering a unique dialogue between European pastel traditions and East Asian aesthetics.
Aug 19, 2025


Art at Delta Sky Club Boston: Ortaire de Coupigny’s Sardine Can Sculptures at Logan Airport
In the refined setting of the Delta Sky Club Lounge at Boston Logan Airport, French artist Ortaire de Coupigny offers travelers an unexpected visual encounter. Mounted along a lounge wall, his installation of sardine-can sculptures introduces a moment of quiet intrigue within a space defined by movement.
Aug 4, 2025


Xerces Blue and Morant’s Blue Butterflies in Japanese Ink on Shikishi Boards
Haruka Miyamoto presents a series of sumi ink drawings on traditional Japanese shikishi boards, featuring the Xerces Blue and Morant’s Blue butterflies. These works continue her exploration of extinct species, a theme she also pursues through sculpture.
Aug 1, 2025


🎨 Discover Christian Halna du Fretay’s Art Exhibition in Lanester During the Interceltic Festival of Lorient
If you're attending the Interceltic Festival of Lorient 2025 (August 1–10), don’t miss a unique opportunity to experience an exceptional art exhibition in Brittany by French painter Christian Halna du Fretay.
Now open in Lanester, the exhibition Éblouissements fugitifs (Ephemeral Dazzlements) unfolds across Galerie La Rotonde and the Town Hall of Lanester, offering a rich dialogue between mixed-media works on paper and large-scale paintings on canvas.
Jul 17, 2025


Olivia Lomenech Gill Wins 2025 Carnegie Medal for Illustration | Art San Gallery
We’re delighted to share that Olivia Lomenech Gill, an artist we admire greatly at Art San Gallery, has been awarded the 2025 Carnegie Medal for Illustration. The announcement was made yesterday at the Cambridge Theatre in London, where Olivia was recognized for her exceptional illustrations in Clever Crow, written by Chris Butterworth and published by Walker Books.
Jun 20, 2025


Sébastien Coueffic: Architectural Oil Paintings on Japanese Shikishi Boards
At Art San Gallery, we are proud to present the work of French painter Sébastien Coueffic, whose refined sense of structure, color, and atmosphere turns the ordinary into something quietly monumental. His paintings capture rooftops, façades, and fragments of urban life—not as documentation, but as carefully constructed harmonies of light and form. Rooted in figurative painting, Coueffic’s approach is shaped by a deep understanding of modernist color theory, structural clarity
Jun 17, 2025


Upcoming Exhibition: Haruka Miyamoto – Extinguished Animals
Opening July 11, 2025 – Art San Gallery, Gujo Hachiman, Gifu, Japan Art San Gallery is proud to present the first solo exhibition in Japan of Haruka Miyamoto , an artist whose sculptures bring vanished species vividly back to life. Extinguished Animals opens on July 11, 2025 , in our Gujo Hachiman gallery space, featuring a collection of intricately crafted creatures shaped by a unique blend of artistry and traditional craftsmanship. Formosan Clouded Leopard by Haruka Miyamo
Jun 3, 2025


Olivia Lomenech Gill Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Illustration 2025
We are proud to share the exciting news that Olivia Lomenech Gill has been shortlisted for the 2025 Carnegie Medal for Illustration, one of the UK’s most prestigious awards celebrating excellence in children’s book illustration. Winners will be announced on June 19, 2025, at a ceremony at the Cambridge Theatre, London.
May 23, 2025


Why “Shikishi” Doesn’t Mean “Colored Paper” — And Why That Matters
In English, the Japanese word shikishi is sometimes translated as “colored paper.” At first glance, it seems to make sense: the kanji characters 色紙 literally mean “color” (色) and “paper” (紙). But in practice, this translation is both misleading and reductive.
May 4, 2025


A Gallery in the Heart of Gujo Hachiman: Art San Gallery Opens Its Doors
We are pleased to announce the opening of Art San Gallery's physical space in the historic town of Gujo Hachiman, nestled in the mountains of Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Gujo Hachiman is often called the “water town” — a place where narrow streets, wooden houses, and murmuring canals come together to form one of Japan’s most picturesque and peaceful environments. Known for its pristine rivers and deep-rooted traditions, the town embodies a rare harmony between nature and culture.
May 2, 2025


‘Le Linceul’ by Ortaire de Coupigny: A Meditation on the Shroud of Turin Through Sculpture and Painting
This life-size work, created by Ortaire de Coupigny using wax and noir de fumée, is the result of a deliberate process blending sculpture, painting, and spirituality. The image of a naked man, standing with hands crossed and eyes closed, appears behind a translucent veil of wax, as if suspended between visibility and disappearance. The work is designed to be viewed through the smooth reverse side of the wax panel, allowing the image to emerge from within, like a photographic
Apr 6, 2025


From Lorient to l’Orient: The Destination Revealed
It’s been a year and a half since we launched Art San Gallery — we hinted at a mysterious destination hidden in the name itself.
Apr 3, 2025


Tegata and Shikishi Boards: The Art of the Sumo Handprint
Explore the tradition of tegata — sumo handprint autographs on shikishi boards — featuring Yokozuna Chiyonofuji Mitsugu.
Mar 25, 2025


Figurative Abstraction: A Fusion of Form and Emotion in Contemporary Art
Explore figurative abstraction, where form and emotion merge. Discover key artists and techniques shaping this expressive art movement today
Mar 4, 2025


Ortaire de Coupigny’s Iconic Sardine Can Series & Modern Art Movements
Few artists manage to blur the lines between sculpture, painting, and conceptual art as seamlessly as Ortaire de Coupigny.
Feb 19, 2025


The Expressive Power of Oil Pastels: Clotilde Aksin-Frappier’s Technique
Clotilde Clotilde Aksin-Frappier’s approach to oil pastels demonstrates the medium’s full potential as both a painterly and graphic tool.
Feb 12, 2025
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