For the group exhibition “Natsukashii,” Mazel Gallery invited Sato Gallery to join with some of its most talented Japanese artists.

“Natsukashii” is a Japanese term with no direct equivalent in English. The closest word might be “nostalgia,” but that refers to a wistful longing to return to a past time, whereas “Natsukashii” evokes the pleasure of fondly remembering happy moments.

Around fifteen artists, both Japanese and Western, are invited to share the exhibition space. It will be interesting to observe the creative and cultural exchanges, as well as the points of convergence and divergence.

Japan may seem very distant to Western eyes, yet it is omnipresent in our culture, to the point of becoming an integral part of it. Judo, manga, anime, sushi, origami, matcha and many other elements are now part of our everyday lives and enrich our memories. More specialised concepts such as umami (the fifth taste) and kawaii (cute) have even become fairly common terms in Europe.

Beyond this range of cultural references, “Natsukashii” also refers to happy childhood memories. Some artists seized this opportunity to create works evoking that period of their lives, such as Mayumi Nakao with “Birthday Party” or Laurina Paperina with a drawing bringing together all the heroes of Japanese cartoons.

Other artists presented by Sato Gallery in Brussels include Takeru Amano, EXCALIBUR, Daijiro Hama, Samy San, Fantasista Utamaro, Nigamushi and Shun Okada. This exhibition celebrates Japanese culture in all its dimensions, through the eyes of those who embody it and those who observe it.