This spring 2025, the Tomokazu Matsuyama Exhibition: FIRST LAST will be held at Tokyo's new contemporary art destination, Azabudai Hills Gallery. This exhibition marks the artist's first large-scale solo show in Tokyo, showcasing Matsuyama's impressive works as he continues his global career from his New York base. Over the past quarter-century, Matsuyama has established himself as one of the next-generation artists gaining international attention in New York's contemporary art scene. The exhibition will feature around 40 of his works including 15 major pieces. A new large-scale series First Last is going to be presented to the public for the first time. Through vivid color and monumental scale, visitors to this exhibition will experience the global realities of contemporary society as seen through the lens of Matsuyama's unique identity.
New Series "First Last" (The Last Shall Be First, and the First Last)
As the title "First and Last" reads in English, this series reflects Tomokazu Matsuyama's long yet swift journey toward presenting his first major solo exhibition in Tokyo. At the same time, it conveys a thought-provoking message from Matsuyama, addressing the paradoxical nature of contemporary society, where balance is maintained through perpetual challenges--a society in which "the last shall be first, and the first last."
Born to Christian parents in the mountain town of Hida Takayama in Gifu, Matsuyama spent part of his youth in the United States before returning to Japan in his adolescence. Throughout his life, and even as he established his career as an artist in New York, he has consistently navigated the experience of being in the minority. Through his work, he continues to question the polarized, complex issues of today: political divides, economic inequality, social conflicts, the paradox of gender equality, media manipulation, and the proliferation of misinformation. Matsuyama asks, "What ultimately brings us fulfillment?" In this series, he reexamines the world through his distinctive background and perspective, informed by the challenges within American society, and seeks to foster new connections and empathy through art.