COEXISTENCE — between self and other, past and present, visible and unseen.
In his new solo exhibition with Sato Gallery, COEXISTENCE, Daijiro Hama continues his exploration of the recurring figure that rises from his inner world. Once solitary, this figure now appears alongside others, entering into a space of relation and shared presence. At its core, the exhibition reflects Hama’s conviction that coexistence is not about erasing difference, but allowing opposing forms, appearances, and ideas to stand side by side, fragile, complex, yet full of quiet hope.
Hama’s paintings are marked by a delicate interplay of movement and depth: fluid lines, subtle textures, and quiet yet powerful compositions. His practice is part of what gallery director Julien Sato calls Shūru Realism — a Japanese surrealism where dreamlike imagery and mystical resonance meet contemporary expression.
An increasingly important aspect of his practice is his work with Boro, the traditional Japanese patchwork of worn kimono textiles. Based partly in Kyoto, Hama collects fragments of fabric, some centuries old, marked by use, repair, and the passage of time, and now employs them not only as inspiration but as the very canvas for his paintings. More than material, Boro embodies continuity and resilience: histories layered, mended, and carried forward. In dialogue with his painted figures, the textiles become silent companions, evoking coexistence between past and present, visible and invisible.
COEXISTENCE unfolds as a meditation on living with multiplicity, figures, fabrics, times, and selves, and invites viewers into a world where imagination and material memory converge.
