Tokyo Gendai, the Best Place to Encounter Promising Artists of Contemporary Art

Tokyo Gendai 2026

The Japanese art market remains relatively small. It valued at US$692 million and accounting for just 1% of the global art market. While the global market contracted by 12% in 2024, Japan’s market grew by 2%, attracting increasing interest from international galleries and collectors.

Of the approximately 70 galleries participating in Tokyo Gendai this year, more than half are based overseas, while 20% of VIP attendees come from outside Japan.

My focus at the fair was to discover promising Japanese contemporary artists, and Tokyo Gendai offered an excellent opportunity to encounter their work.

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My first stop was Taka Ishii Gallery, which featured Adam Pendleton, known for his concept of Black Dada, which combines Black radicalism with avant-garde artistic practices. The gallery also presented works by three Japanese artists.

Fu Nagasawa’s paintings draw inspiration from Japanese folk crafts. Haruki Ohno creates three-dimensional works using materials such as fiber-reinforced plastic, Oya stone, and paper. His practice is informed by Japanese religious events, ethnology, and systems of belief. Takuma Oue’s work is grounded in his own body and the sensations of the skin, with each piece conceived as an extension of it. I found the works on display particularly interesting, and they resonated strongly with me.

I then visited Mizoe Gallery, which featured Tomonori Toyofuku, a sculptor who was active in Milan. I was drawn to his distinctive and philosophically engaging sculptures. His work is characterized by abstract forms carved from thick pieces of wood and punctuated by oval-shaped openings.

Sadie Coles HQ presented Yu Nishimura, whose work is gaining traction in the international art market. His painting Sunday Beach set a new auction record when it sold for US$296,100 at Christie’s New York—100% above his previous auction record. Nishimura’s works are known for their dreamlike compositions and hazy, painterly quality, conveying a delicate sense of sentimentality.

Ippodo Gallery presented distinctive works by 11 Japanese artists using traditional materials such as washi paper, bamboo, wood, metal, and clay. Their unusual forms and shapes, together with the natural colors and textures of the materials, made the works especially striking and memorable.

Lastly, I discovered the work of Shiori Eda at A2Z Art Gallery Paris. Her series, titled Sensing for Where We Are, appeared to be very popular, with most of the works already sold. According to the gallery staff, this was the first time her work had been exhibited in Japan.