CREATIVE HUB UENO "es," the gallery space inside Ueno Station established in April 2024 through a collaboration between Tokyo University of the Arts and East Japan Railway Company, has announced its exhibition schedule for the first half of 2026. The program features four consecutive solo exhibitions by artists recommended from various departments of Tokyo University of the Arts, opening with a show of Japanese painting by Manami Saito.
Exhibition Schedule (April–October 2026)
| Dates | Exhibition | Genre |
|---|---|---|
| April 28 (Tue) – May 31 (Sun) *May 4 open, no substitute closure | Manami Saito Solo Exhibition "Small Vehicles" | Japanese Painting (Department of Japanese Painting) |
| June 9 (Tue) – July 12 (Sun) | Miki Shinobu Solo Exhibition (title TBA) | Design (Department of Design) |
| July 21 (Tue) – August 30 (Sun) | Yuki Horikoshi Solo Exhibition "Texture Architecture Drawing (tentative)" | Architecture (Department of Architecture) |
| September 8 (Tue) – October 11 (Sun) | Yuki Muraoka Solo Exhibition "Friends, Acquaintances, and Strangers (tentative)" | Sculpture (Department of Sculpture) |
*Exhibition dates and content are subject to change.
Manami Saito Solo Exhibition "Small Vehicles"
April 28 (Tue) – May 31 (Sun), 2026
The opening show of the 2026 season brings together works created by Manami Saito using iwaenogu (mineral pigments) on hemp paper. The granular pigments—made by crushing minerals—captivate with their distinctive hues and textures. Having long documented the subtle moments of everyday life, Saito turned her focus to vehicles as a subject of compelling form, and this exhibition presents works centered on that theme.
Recommender's Comment
"The motifs in Saito's works are varied, yet they evoke a sense of nostalgia, as if glimpsed from distant memory. Please come and see for yourself how she carefully captures each motif and uses iwaenogu to create paintings that transcend mere technique."
— Seiji Yoshimura, Professor, Department of Japanese Painting, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts
Artist Profile
Manami Saito (さいとう まなみ)
- 2018: Graduated from the Department of Japanese Painting, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts
- 2020: Completed the Master's Program in Japanese Painting, Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts
- 2023: Completed the Doctoral Program in Japanese Painting, Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts
- Currently an associate member of the Japan Art Institute
https://instagram.com/manami_saito_
Selected Exhibitions
- 2022: Lespoir New Artist Selection Exhibition (Ginza Surugadai Gallery)
- 2024: Solo Exhibition "-In Days Gone By-" (Matsuzakaya Ueno / Matsuzakaya Nagoya)
Past Works
Miki Shinobu Solo Exhibition (Title TBA)
June 9 (Tue) – July 12 (Sun), 2026
This exhibition explores the visualization of invisible phenomena—sounds and spoken language—rendered as lines and forms in space. Starting from everyday sounds and conversations, Shinobu investigates methods of notation through a set of procedures, attempting to make visible elements that do not appear at the moment of perception. Works take the form of three-dimensional pieces, flat works, and book-format objects, composed together as a spatial installation.
Miki Shinobu (しのぶ みき)
Shinobu works with invisible phenomena such as conversation and sound, exploring the relationship between perception and representation. Her practice spans three-dimensional, flat, and book-format spatial expressions. She is a recipient of the 10th Tokyo University of the Arts Heisei Art Prize, completed the Master's Program in Design at Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School in 2026, and serves as a Technical Instructor in the Department of Design at the university.
Yuki Horikoshi Solo Exhibition "Texture Architecture Drawing (tentative)"
July 21 (Tue) – August 30 (Sun), 2026
Architecture changes dramatically depending on climate, time of day, and the physical state of the person experiencing it. To capture experiences filled with such fluctuations and ambiguities, one must go beyond representing spatial form through plans and models and extract the full picture of an experience that unfolds over time. Through hand-drawn drawings produced to date, this exhibition shows how "architecture as experience" comes into being.
Yuki Horikoshi (ほりこし ゆうき)
Architect, born 1985. Founder of YHAD, a first-class registered architectural firm. Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts. Produces drawings alongside architectural design under the theme of "architecture that captures the middle distance." Selected works include the design of Tile Building (in collaboration with EIKA studio) and illustrations for the Chikyumori Nature Reader Series.
Yuki Muraoka Solo Exhibition "Friends, Acquaintances, and Strangers (tentative)"
September 8 (Tue) – October 11 (Sun), 2026
Friends, acquaintances, and strangers. A person is formed by the miraculous blending of diverse elements—thought, philosophy, environment, and social role—in a delicate balance. This exhibition explores that exquisite equilibrium of human beings, presented in a venue where more than 500,000 people pass through every day.
Yuki Muraoka (むらおか ゆうき)
Born 1993 in Hiroshima Prefecture. Completed the Master's Program in Sculpture, Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts in 2018. Currently serves as a Technical Instructor in the Department of Sculpture at the university. Centering on clay modeling, he creates works in a variety of materials, giving form to the complex balance that constitutes a human being as a single sculpture.
Gallery Information
CREATIVE HUB UENO "es"
- Address: 7-1-1 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo (near the Asakusa Exit of Ueno Station)
- Hours: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM (last entry 6:45 PM)
- Closed: Mondays (if Monday falls on a public holiday, the gallery will be closed on the following day instead)
- Admission: Free
- Website: https://ueno-es.jp/
