OREANDA-NEWS. ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Masahiro Okafuji, President & CEO; hereinafter “ITOCHU”) opened ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE in CI Plaza, a commercial facility situated next to ITOCHU’s Tokyo Head Office, in October 2012. The gallery was part of ITOCHU’s social contribution activities, with the aim of developing the future generation through art, contributing to the local community, and promoting both local and international art and culture. Various exhibitions have since been held in the space.

To support the independence of people with disabilities through art, ITOCHU has co-sponsored an exhibition of works from Social Welfare Corporation Yuai Gakuen. Social Welfare Corporation Yuai Gakuen was established in 1957 as a facility for children with intellectual disabilities. After that, Yuai Gakuen opened a facility to consistently support the lives of people with disabilities from childhood and adolescence to maturity. The facility is certified by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government as falling under the “profound” level in terms of support for people with disabilities.

With “the power to attract each other” as the common theme, the exhibits will include Japanese paper, pottery, indigo dyeing, vegetable dyeing, textiles, paintings and other works characterized by the use of natural materials and traditional Japanese and soft textures, and paintings characterized by freedom in the use of colors and designs unbound by common sense, all of which are made at an atelier blessed with a nature-rich environment. Some of the works were produced in collaboration with Mr. Kansai Yamamoto (fashion designer), Mr. Seizo Tashima (picture book author), Ms. Shizuru Otaka (singer) and other renowned artists. A special event titled Power to Draw Each Other: Kansai Yamamoto x Kobo YUAI?Talk Show will also be held from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 26.

Art attracts people and continuously produces new works. Come and enjoy art’s “power to attract each other” through vivid and attractive works.