For Asia NOW 2024, Gallery Nao Masaki presents an exhibition showcasing the works of two pioneering Japanese artists, Lintalow Hashiguchi and Sadaharu Horio, who have pushed the boundaries of traditional art forms and challenged conventional notions of creativity.

Lintalow Hashiguchi, influenced by the rebellious spirit of punk rock, has rediscovered the art of calligraphy as a means to express his innermost emotions. Inspired by the words of modern calligrapher Yuichi Inoue, “Calligraphy is art for everyone,” Hashiguchi has abandoned expensive brushes in favor of towels and his entire body to create large-scale works. His artworks are a profound inquiry into the meaning of human writing in an age where typing on smartphones and social media has become the norm. Hashiguchi’s works serve as a reminder of the power and significance of the handwritten word in the modern world.

Sadaharu Horio, born in 1939 in Hyogo Prefecture, was a key member of the Gutai Art Association, a leading avant-garde art movement in postwar Japan. Throughout his career, Horio engaged in a wide-ranging artistic practice while also working as a regular businessman until his retirement in 1998. His philosophy, “artworks are generated from life,” is evident in his series of projects called “Atarimae-no-koto” (the ordinary things), which explore the idea of the commonsensical.

Together, the works of Hashiguchi and Horio invite viewers to reconsider the role of art in everyday life and the importance of individual expression in an increasingly digital world.