Island Japan Co., Ltd. Announcement of Keiji Ito’s solo exhibition “It’s Getting Fun!”

[Island Japan Co., Ltd.] Announcement of Keiji Ito’s Solo Exhibition “It’s Getting Fun!” ​
Island Japan Co., Ltd. Press Release: October 25, 2025 Announcement of Keiji Ito’s solo exhibition “It’s Getting Fun!” HARUKAIT by ISLAND is pleased to present Keiji Ito’s solo exhibition, “It’s Getting Fun!”
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(C)️ KEIJI ITO After making his debut in the legendary magazine “JAM/HEAVEN” in the 1980s, Ito has worked on a wide range of art direction and graphic work, including music, magazines, advertising, books, and video. He has also presented his work in exhibitions both in Japan and abroad, including “CLOSE UP of JAPAN” (Sao Paulo Museum of Art), “In Search of the Fourth Dimension: From Dali to the Present” (Morohashi Museum of Modern Art), “VERDE COSMICO” (PARCEL), and “TRANQUILO” (Gallery Trax), earning acclaim. This exhibition will feature new works from Ito’s painting series, which he has been working on in recent years. Reflecting on the creation of this series, which depicts the striking yellow-green earth beneath a starry sky, Ito says: “This may be a reaction to the desire for greenery felt in urban life, or the suffocating feeling of perspective being cut off. In particular, the sense of confinement caused by the pandemic over the past few years seems to have accelerated the desire for
refreshing, expansive green spaces.” These fantastical landscapes, sometimes called neo-surrealist, are composed of mountain paths Ito has actually visited on his travels, landscapes he has photographed himself, and ornaments and magazine clippings from his personal collection, creating a collage-like depiction of fragments of everyday life. The yellow-green earth has an inhuman quality reminiscent of a green screen in CG filmmaking, but there is also a gaze that accepts the simular world without denying or affirming it. The encounter between strange plants, animals, and characters—things that once existed in different places—softly blurs the boundaries between nature and artificiality, reality and unreality, and inorganic and organic matter, reviving reality recaptured by symbols. This practice differs from the cynicism seen in Warhol’s mass production and “Superflat”—and represents a new adventure in visual art. The title of this
exhibition, an excerpt from words Ito heard in a dream, is also symbolic of his artistic talent. Noi Sawaragi once commented as follows: “Perhaps this kingdom of pure imagination, lost forever, appears as the mysterious ‘foreign land’ depicted in his paintings. A ‘foreign land’ that none of us can ever reach.” (※) Ito himself recalls, “Ever since I was a child, when I thought about the afterlife, I was more interested than frightened. The image evoked images of the unknown, like ‘night’ and ‘space.'” To explore how this worldview was formed, the exhibition will also feature paintings and collages from the 1990s and 2000s, as well as “SOUNDLESS SLEEVE,” a series he has been creating in recent years, modeled after album covers. Don’t miss this opportunity to see it. (※) Source: Collection of works “LANDSCAPE AND FLOWERS” (1996) Text by Suzuki Shoko [Exhibition Overview] Title: It’s Getting Fun! Artist: Keiji Ito Dates: October 25, 2025 (Sat.) – November 23, 2025 (Sun.) Open: 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Thu-Sun) Opening Reception: October 25 Saturday 18:00-20:00 Planned by: island JAPAN
info@islandjapan.com 6-12-9 BLOCK HOUSE 2F, Jingumae Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001 6-12-9-2F BLOCK HOUSE Jingumae Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001 JAPAN 【Artist Profile】 Keiji Ito Active primarily in graphic work, art direction, and video. Winner of the Tokyo ADC Award in 2001. He has worked on visuals for Kirinji, Towa Tei, Kaela Kimura, Scha Dara Parr, GRAPEVINE, THE BAWDIES, PES from RIP SLYME, Hiroshi Takano, ohana, Orange Pekoe, Bonnie Pink, the official world poster for the Aichi Expo 2005, Cravendale in the UK, SoftBank campaigns, the KEIJI ITO x graniph Collaboration, and many others. He has held numerous solo exhibitions and participated in numerous exhibitions both in Japan and abroad. His collections of works include “LA SUPER GRANDE” (ERECT LAB.) and “DAYS OF PAST FUTURE” (co-authored with Alex Besikian), among many others. He is a professor at Kyoto University of Arts Graduate School and representative of UFG.