New Large-Scale Works Created Through On-Site Production

Cai Guo-Qiang, born in Fujian Province, China, in 1957, is known for his works created by detonating gunpowder and revealing its unexpected beauty. After studying stage design in Shanghai, he was active in Japan from late 1986 to 1995, where he refined his gunpowder art. Since then, he has been based in New York and is considered one of the world's leading contemporary artists.

This exhibition marks Cai Guo-Qiang's first solo exhibition in Japan in seven years. Titled 'The Return,' meaning "to go and come back," the exhibition showcases his deep connection with Japan. For this exhibition, Cai Guo-Qiang created six large-scale works through on-site production with the cooperation of citizen volunteers. One of these is 'Night Cherry Blossoms,' drawn on Japanese paper measuring 8 meters high by 24 meters wide, his largest flat gunpowder artwork to date.

Another work is the series 'The Four Seasons of Life,' consisting of four pieces painted on canvas. Inspired by the erotic shunga paintings by the Edo-period ukiyo-e artist Tsukioka Settei, these are colored gunpowder paintings, representing a new artistic direction Cai has been developing for many years.

Additionally, the exhibition features the world premiere of "Art Island," an educational online game that Cai Guo-Qiang has been conceptualizing for years. It was developed with the aim of fostering mutual understanding through collaboration within a workshop setting in the online game.