Seitaro Yamazaki Newsletter June 8, 2026

JOURNAL

Hello, this is Seitaro Yamazaki.

It has been some time since my last newsletter, which went out in November. Over the past six months, my work has taken me across Fukushima, California, England, Arizona, and Tokyo. Little by little, I feel my practice extending outward—interweaving with the air, light, and textures of each place.
In this update, I’d like to reflect on that journey.

1. Marginal Art Fair Fukushima Hirono Edition 2

“Marginal Art Fair Fukushima Hirono Edition 2: Landscapes Yet Undecided,” held this past December, concluded successfully.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, I was unable to be physically present at the venue. Still, the fair exceeded the sales of its first edition, and I’ve heard that the charity reproduction prints by Ai☆Madonna—created to support the recovery of Hirono Town—were especially well received.
I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all participating artists, the volunteers on site, and the entire team who made this possible.

The Marginal Art Fair began as an experiment in “recovery through art.” Rather than fixing outcomes in advance, we chose to leave space—yohaku, or margin—open. Into that space, people, artworks, and chance encounters enter, allowing unexpected landscapes to emerge.
After two editions, I feel we’ve begun to build a quiet trust with the local community.

As for a third edition, plans remain—appropriately—undecided. This is not a pause, but a moment of reflection. With encouraging voices from both local residents and international artists, I believe it’s important to reconsider how this initiative can continue sustainably, without force.
My own role may gradually shift from that of a director. For now, my focus in Hirono will center on a new project, while staying closely connected to the art fair.

2. Piano to Nature—a long experiment—2

This March, we began “Piano to Nature—a long experiment—2” in Hirono Town.
The project centers on a Steinway upright piano once owned by the late Ryuichi Sakamoto—the instrument used to compose his final album, 12. Together with Sakamoto Bunko, Seitaro Design, and Hirono Town, we have placed this piano directly on the earth in the garden of Hirono Mirai-kan, a cultural hub for the town.

The project began on March 11, 2026, marking fifteen years since the Great East Japan Earthquake.
The piano is open to anyone who wishes to approach and touch it.

Exposed to rain, wind, and time, it will gradually transform. Rather than seeing this as decay, I think of it as a transition into another kind of time—where something made by human hands returns to the rhythms of nature.
We will continue observing this process over the long term, reflecting on the relationships between time, nature, humanity, and art.

Project website:
https://piano-nature2.com/

3. Exhibitions in California

This spring, I participated in two group exhibitions near San Francisco.
At the Sebastopol Center for the Arts, I exhibited Stories Not Used “OLD TESTAMENT” BOOK OF GENESIS (2024) as part of “Pulp · Paper · Book.”

https://www.sebarts.org/pulp-statements
https://seiyamazaki.com/artworks/snu-genesis-book/

At Arts Benicia, my earlier work Outline of the Figurative (2018) was included in “Making Your Mark.”
https://artsbenicia.org/making-your-mark/
https://seiyamazaki.com/artworks/outline-figurative/

Both locations are close to Roseville, where I previously held a solo exhibition. There is something about the atmosphere of the Bay Area that resonates with my work—the West Coast light, the dry air, and the quiet openness that underlies its sense of freedom.

4. Fringe Arts Bath 2026

I am honored to once again participate in Fringe Arts Bath in the UK.
This year, I am included in “The 2020s: Sacred Brands and Disposable Gods,” presenting works from my Fossils from the Future series. The pieces reference Hermès, Supreme, and Chanel No. 5.

In this series, contemporary brands—objects of intense desire—are treated as if they were archaeological relics from the future. What we revere today may one day be unearthed as fragments, detached from their original meaning.
The exhibition runs from May 22 to June 6.

Official website:
https://www.fringeartsbath.co.uk/brands

5. Sidney Nolan Art Prize Exhibition

This summer, I will participate in the Sidney Nolan Art Prize Exhibition in Herefordshire, England.
The venue is The Rodd, a vast farm where Sidney Nolan spent his later years, located near the border between England and Wales. Within a grain store on this land, I will install a work titled The Grammar of Silence.

The piece draws from the image of discarded plastic umbrellas on the street. Black lines evoke rain in the style of Hiroshige, while golden sculptural forms translate the sound of rain—captured through field recordings—into physical form.
The grain store itself is said to leak. If you visit on a rainy day, that may offer the most natural way to experience the work.
The exhibition runs from July 11 to October 4.

Artwork:
https://seiyamazaki.com/artworks/the-grammar-of-silence/

6. Ink Painting as Contemporary Art — Tokyo

In June, I will participate in a three-person exhibition in Inagi, Tokyo, alongside CHiNPAN and Misa Hanazuka.
Both artists work in ink painting (sumi-e), a medium often associated with tradition. Yet within the gradation of ink, the trembling of line, and the use of negative space, I believe there remains vast potential for contemporary expression.
My own practice has long explored the intersection of Eastern spatial awareness and contemporary visual language. I hope this exhibition opens new ways of seeing ink painting today.

Exhibition:
“Ink Painting as Contemporary Art: CHiNPAN, Misa Hanazuka, Seitaro Yamazaki — A Three-Person Exhibition”
Dates: June 12 – July 10, 2026
Hours: 9:30 – 17:30 (Closed Sundays and public holidays)
Admission: Free

Official website:
https://sdtricks.net/G372/archives/282

7. NightVisions: AMBER — Arizona

My work In Praise of Shadows will be exhibited in “NightVisions: AMBER” in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Located near the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff is known for its dark skies and expansive starscapes. The exhibition explores the theme of night and darkness—an environment that deeply resonates with this work.

Inspired by Junichirō Tanizaki’s In Praise of Shadows, the piece explores what exists before language takes form—seeking the presence of things that can only be felt, not fully seen.
This will be the fourth presentation of the work, and its first in the Americas.

Artwork:
https://seiyamazaki.com/artworks/in-praise-shadows/

Exhibition info:

https://coconinoarts.org/exhibitions/nightvisions-amber/
https://www.instagram.com/coconinoarts/

The exhibition runs from June 27 to September 26.

Closing Thoughts

Looking back, these past six months feel like a quiet dispersal—works carried across distant places:
A piano resting on the soil of Fukushima.
Paper and books in California.
A leaking grain store in rural England.
The darkness of the Arizona night.
And the margins of ink in Tokyo.
When the place changes, the work begins to breathe differently.
I hope to continue creating while honoring these encounters—each one shaping the work in ways I could not have anticipated.

Seitaro Yamazaki