ICHION CONTEMPORARY

Shangri-La──a name for the ideal land hidden deep beyond snowy mountains, continues to exist quietly only within the depths of people’s hearts. First depicted in James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon (1933), it is a dreamlike place of eternal serenity and harmony, forever unreachable. For over half a century, Fumio Moriya has devoted himself to pursuing his own inner Shangri-La of art. His work consistently weaves together material and action, memory and time, construction and trace ̶an endless journey toward an unattainable ideal land. This exhibition invites viewers to trace Moriya’s lifelong pursuit of Shangri-La and hopes that, in front of his works, each person’s own ideal land may quietly take shape.

Open :: 11:00‒18:00 (Last entry at 17:30)
※Closes at 17:00 on the final day
Closed :: Sundays, Mondays, and Public Holidays
Admission :: Free
Artists :: Fumio Moriya

*If you plan to visit with a group of 10 or more people, please make a reservation in advance by phone or email. Please note that entry will not be permitted on the day without a prior reservation.

Sosho Mochida

Fumio Moriya (born 1938 in Ehime) is a member of the Action Art Association, former professor at Osaka University of Arts, and a core member of the contemporary art group “Ge,” having made significant contributions to the development of Kansai avant-garde art and art education. From the 1960s to the early 1970s, he explored figurative expression that contrasted organic human forms with inorganic structures, creating works with spray techniques that conveyed both vitality and a sense of coldness, embodying a unique tension between motion and stillness.

In 1975, Moriya’s stay in the United States as an artist dispatched by the Agency for Cultural Aﬀairs marked a turning point, leading his work toward abstraction and a focus on fundamental elements of painting such as lines, planes, and color fields. In the 1980s, he developed his “Work” series using scratch techniques and his “MARKS” series using shaped panels, inscribing layers of time and memory onto the surface through the repetition and accumulation of lines. Since the 1990s, he has presented the “Line” series, featuring orderly arrangements of rod- and bone-like forms, and the “Shrine” series inspired by the architectural structures of circular burial mounds and shrines seen in Korea, merging geometric forms with folk symbols to create spaces where the individual and the collective, past and present, intersect.

Within Japan’s postwar art, Moriya embodies the “aesthetics of material, action, and memory” characteristic of the Kansai avant-garde lineage, opening a distinctive artistic domain through quiet yet tension-filled expression. His work stands as an important testament to the diversity of postwar Japanese art, transcending the boundaries of regional avant-garde practice.

【Selected Exhibitions（ 1975‒2024）】
1962‒2024 Participated in the Kōdō Exhibition (Kōdō-ten)
1975‒2025 Participated in the Ge Exhibition

1966: Tokyo ‒ 9th Yasui Award Exhibition, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
1967: Tokyo ‒ 10th Yasui Award Exhibition, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
1971: Tokyo ‒ 14th Yasui Award Exhibition, Seibu Department Store, Ikebukuro
1975: Traveled to the United States as a cultural exchange artist (O.I.F.S.)
1978: Hyogo ‒ Art Now ’78, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Modern Art
1988: Tokyo ‒ 17th International Art Exhibition of Japan, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
1991: Osaka ‒ Ceramic mural work, Ibaraki City Central Library
1993: Osaka ‒ Osaka Triennale 1993, MyDome Osaka
1993: Tokyo ‒ 22nd Contemporary Japanese Art Exhibition, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
1996: Osaka ‒ Ceramic mural work, Ibaraki City Welfare Center for the Disabled
2000: Osaka ‒ Solo Exhibition, Shinano-bashi Gallery
2001: Osaka ‒ Solo Exhibition, Galerie Blanche
2001: Osaka ‒ Osaka Triennale 2001, CASO (Kaigan-dori Gallery)
2005: Osaka ‒ Osaka International Art Festival, ATC, Osaka Nanko
2005: Osaka ‒ Solo Exhibition, Chayamachi Gallery
2005: Osaka ‒ The Adventurers of Beauty, Art Court Gallery
2006: Osaka ‒ Solo Exhibition, Galerie Blanche
2006: Osaka ‒ The Adventurers of Beauty, Art Court Gallery
2007: Hyogo ‒ 60th Anniversary Kinki-Kōdō Memorial Exhibition, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art (Ōji Branch)
2009: Tokyo ‒ UNIGRABAS Exhibition, Galerie UNIGRABAS Ginza
2009: Osaka ‒ Solo Exhibition, Galerie Blanche
2009: Retired from Osaka University of Arts
2011: Nara ‒ Solo Exhibition, Gallery Yūsai
2014: Tokyo ‒ Best Selection Art Exhibition, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
2015: Osaka ‒ Solo Exhibition, Galerie Blanche
2017: Nara ‒ Distance of 27 Artists, Gallery Yūsai
2017: Osaka ‒ Solo Exhibition, Galerie Blanche
2019: Osaka ‒ Solo Exhibition, Galerie Blanche
2021: Osaka ‒ Solo Exhibition, Galerie Blanche
2023: Osaka ‒ Solo Exhibition, Galerie Blanche
2023: Nara ‒ Untitled Exhibition in June, Gallery Yūsai
2023: Osaka ‒ The Footprints and Future of Contemporary Japanese Art, ICHION CONTEMPORARY
2024: Osaka ‒ Postwar Art Collection Exhibition, ICHION CONTEMPORARY
2024: Nara ‒ Solo Exhibition, Gallery Yūsai

Exhibition Contents

Gallery

ICHION CONTEMPORARY: A Cultural Hub Connecting Asia and the World through Art

With the concept that "the wavelengths of artistic sensibility resonate in people's hearts like a single sound, creating new waves of culture," ICHION CONTEMPORARY was founded in 2023 in Higashi-Umeda, Osaka, as a cultural hub connecting Asia and the world.

Our gallery focuses on pioneering artists who shaped avant-garde art in Japan, particularly in Osaka and the Kansai region. By highlighting their innovation and cultural significance, we aim to further elevate their global recognition. Following the rise of Abstract Expressionism in postwar America and the Informel movement in France, Japan witnessed the emergence of revolutionary artistic movements such as Gutai and Mono-ha, which were groundbreaking in East Asia. Among them, Gutai stood out as a radical movement that pursued "pure creation," breaking free from traditional artistic frameworks. Its innovative spirit not only transformed the trajectory of postwar Japanese art but also left a profound impact on modern art across East Asia. Even today, its pioneering essence continues to inspire new artistic values and serves as a vital bridge between the past and the future.

At ICHION CONTEMPORARY, we see it as both our mission and responsibility to carry forward the avantgarde spirit that was nurtured in Osaka and the Kansai region.

Leveraging our network with international galleries and museums, we also serve as a bridge for artistic exchange between Japan and the world. Through exhibitions and art fairs, we actively promote the cultural richness of our region and expand the possibilities of art, fostering international cultural dialogue from Osaka.

Our gallery is committed to providing an environment where emerging artists can fully realize their talents and thrive on the international stage. By maximizing the historical and cultural strengths of Osaka and the Kansai region, we aim to grow as a cultural exchange platform that connects generations and contributes to the social and economic impact of art.

Access

9-7 Nozaki-cho, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 530-0055

Contact

+81 6-6364-1111
info@ichion-contemporary.com