Quirky Japanese design and art blog Spoon & Tamago, run by artist and writer Johnny Strategy, has a special exhibition at hpgrp GALLERY NEW YORK’s New City Art Fair, which runs through Sunday, March 8.

In The Spoon & Tamago Studio Visits, Strategy and co-curator Masako Shiba bring together their favorite interviews with Japanese artists, conducted by Strategy over the course of the last three years. The intimate discussions with Ai Campbell, Nao Matsumoto, Kenzo Minami, Takeshi Miyakawa, Shinji Murakami, Cyoko Tamai, three, and Meguru Yamaguchi delved into the artists’ personal spaces, tools, and talismans.

JapanCulture•NYC had the pleasure of interviewing Cyoko Tamai and three when they each served as artist in residence at Japan Society. Tamai recently moved to the New York City area to try her hand in the city’s art scene.

“I will stay here one year or two years to be successful here,” Tamai said at the opening ceremony of the exhibition on Thursday, March 5.

Fukushima artist collective three created new works specifically for the Spoon & Tamago exhibition. Their gachapon containing their signature “bits” was simply fantastic, as were their dissected dolls with melted bits for brains, prompting three to tell Shiba enthusiastically, “We’re discovering new ways to cut!”

The Spoon & Tamago Studio Visits occupies one corner of hpgrp GALLERY NEW YORK, which is hosting the New City Art Fair. Supported by LUMINE, a Japanese department store that wants customers to experience art in everyday life, the New City Art Fair is a showcase of galleries representing innovative contemporary art from Japan. Here are a few standouts:

Kunihiko Yazawa

 

Akiko Ozasa

Toshinori Suzuki

 

Nao Uchimura

 

Tsubasa Fujikura