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until 18.03. | #4918ARTatBerlin | Semjon Contemporary shows from Friday, 30. January 2026 (Opening: 29.01.) the exhibition Ode from Japan – Japan in Berlin by the artists Takayuki Daikoku, Renate Hampke, Mayako Kubo, Taijoh Mori, Teppei Miyaki, Cornelia Nagel, Kazuki Nakahara, Ursula Sax, Ken‘ichiro Taniguchi, Hitomi Uchikura and Tomoyuki Ueno.
The reunification of Germany and the parallel phase of intense globalization sustainably accelerated international exchange. In this context, Berlin developed into a central site for the production of contemporary art and attracted a growing community of Japanese artists. This development is rooted in a long tradition of cultural exchange between Japan and Europe.
European modernism is closely linked to the reception of non-European art. In particular, the Japanese woodblock print influenced French Impressionists as well as German Expressionists, including artist groups such as Der Blaue Reiter and Die Brücke. As early as the late 19th century, Japanese woodblock prints were widely circulated in Europe; artists such as Franz Marc owned and studied these works. Especially influential were the works of Katsushika Hokusai, whose Great Wave is today among the most widely recognized prints worldwide.
As early as 1931, a comprehensive exhibition of contemporary Japanese art was realized in Berlin. Against this historical backdrop, the representation of the artists Hitomi Uchikura and Takayuki Daikoku by Semjon Contemporary provides an opportunity to continue this dialogue. As a contemporary point of reference to the historical connection between Berlin and Japan, Renate Hampke and Ursula Sax were invited to develop an artistic interpretation of Hokusai’s iconic wave.
The title of the current exhibition is borrowed from a work of the same name by Renate Hampke (born in 1935, like Ursula Sax), in which a found object from Tokyo plays a central role. Hampke created this work in 2015 following a journey to Japan.
Cornelia Nagel is represented in the exhibition as a third non-Japanese artist. Her Raku ceramics are also highly regarded in Japan. She chose the reverse path and learned the traditional Japanese Raku technique herself. The Raku Museum in Kyoto holds several of her works, and Semjon Contemporary dedicated a solo exhibition to her in 2016/17.
Teppei Miyaki, Kimitsu Sand Vessel (Detail), 2025, 11 x 16,5 x 15 cm, Stratum (Ichijuku Formation), urethane resin, putty, urethane coating and UV-cut clear coating (photo: Teppei Miyaki)
All the Japanese artists represented in the exhibition live in Berlin or have spent formative periods of their lives here. The exception is Teppei Miyaki, who, however, spent several weeks in the city two years ago when Takayuki Daikoku presented his solo exhibition at the Semjon Contemporary gallery, accompanying him as an artist friend during that time.
The Japanese artists in this exhibition are united by their conscious preservation of their national identity while simultaneously striving for international recognition—a tension that is convincingly reflected in their works.
The particular quality of their work lies in the fact that they do not deny their Japanese roots and influences, yet have developed an independent, universal artistic language. This language incorporates experiences from both the European and global art worlds. Their works unite both cultural spheres without subordinating themselves to either, creating a formal synthesis between these worlds.
A common thread runs through all the works in the exhibition: a consistent focus on form and structure that is self-contained and at the same time radiates a concentrated power within stoic calm.
As a connecting element between image and music, Mayako Kubo composed a short piece of music, which will be performed on opening night by the singer Miho Kinoshita (Deutsche Oper). The composition itself is presented in graphic form. For viewers without musical notation skills, it appears as a system of signs, a visual work. This approach was already explored in 2014 in the drawing exhibition “Dear Artist, Draw Me!” at the Semjon Contemporary gallery, in which over 70 artists—including four composers—participated.
“Ode from Japan” is conceived as a snapshot of the diverse Berlin art scene, which is significantly shaped by different communities—in this case, by the Japanese-German exchange. This diversity has played a crucial role in establishing and further solidifying Berlin’s international reputation as an art metropolis.
The whole is the sum of its parts.
Opening: Thursday, 29. January 2026, 7–9:30 pm
Exhibition dates: Friday, 30. January until Wednesday, 18. March 2026
To the gallery
Titel image: Renate Hampke, Ode aus Japan (Namensgeberin der Ausstellung), 2015, 52 x 53 x 5 cm, Zeichenbrett, Zeichenkohle, Fahrradschlauch, Lakritz, Kabelbinder, Fundstücke (u.a. Schalt-knauf aus Tokyo). Foto: Jürgen Baumann.
Exhibition Ode from Japan – Semjon Contemporary | Zeitgenössische Kunst | Contemporary Art | Exhibitions Berlin Galleries – ART at Berlin
