Our yearning for nature persists, no matter how far removed we may be from it.

This exhibition uses sensory and immersive curation to explore the desires and aspirations that we, as modern-day dwellers, instinctively possess. The space was filled with the artists' unique perspectives, providing visitors with the opportunity to reexamine their consciousness and reflect on their own experiences.

The "Dwellers" exhibition themed the contemporary relationship between nature and man, showcased six up and coming artists (and one established artist) from both domestic and international backgrounds, while also raising awareness for pressing environmental issues. The exhibition donated 20% of its proceeds to Global Coralition to support coral reef conservation.

The exhibition was divided into three parts. In the first and second parts, the gallery space was used as a live studio in addition to the display of works. This allowed visitors to observe the artist's creative process, resulting in a more intimate viewing experience. The final part of the exhibition included participation from all seven artists, including a charity sale. All three parts featured soundscapes produced by Robin Rastenberger, a soundscape artist, where he also performed live at the reception.

The charity exhibition "Dwellers" was held at the RVCA Shibuya Gallery in Tokyo, Japan. RVCA has provided this space as a platform to showcase emerging and up-and-coming artists from our program, making this exhibition possible. As an internationally active lifestyle brand, they collaborate with various artists to bring clothing, accessories, and other items to life. Since their inception, RVCA has aimed to create a platform that uniquely combines art, music, fashion, and other lifestyle elements. At the forefront of this vision is their Artist Network Program, which introduces cutting-edge artists and encourages inspiration among different generations and artists.

In this article, Volume 1, we introduce the artists who contributed to this exhibition.

Joining our exhibition through the RVCA Artist Network Program is Ricky Lee Gordon, a multi-media painter and sculptor from Johannesburg, South Africa. He has been commissioned by organizations such as Amnesty International, Greenpeace, and the United Nations to create large-scale murals highlighting social and environmental issues, named as one of the "11 Masters of Street Art" by National Geographic. In addition to being a prolific artist, Gordon practises curation across the globe and runs the Śūnyatā Artist Residency in Sri Lanka.

Gordon’s practice centers on creating deeply personal seascapes and figurative paintings, where he uses a variety of mediums to express the idea of "painting nature with nature”. He works through plant dyes, beeswax, cyanotypes, lithography, wood carvings and brass castings to draw attention on the consistencies of raw materials themselves, seeking harmony through their alchemy and form.

In our exhibition, Gordon displayed artwork in his signature style, a seascape piece characterized by the weaving of his intention and interpretation of waves and their vibrations. A sentiment acquired through his daily observations and rituals, he refers to the sea as both his muse and teacher. For Gordon, his creative process is a deeply personal one that he likens to meditation for the manner in which it illuminates the interconnectedness of all life.

Below, we introduce six emerging and up and coming artists who participated in the exhibition with the support of ArtX:

Yuki Yamada is an abstract painter and sculptor who explores the existentialist theme of the strength found in all life forms. Using natural and Japanese pigments on canvas and found objects, he creates works that are filled with surreal allusions to water, light, nature, and fantastical figures with a primitive-like touch. Through his light and fluid brushwork, each piece narrates a storyline that speaks to our subconscious sentiments.

Yamada is a graduate of Tokyo University of the Arts who has a passion for travelling and island life. He is particularly enamoured with Hateruma Island, the southernmost island of Japan. Yamada has served on the organizing committee of the annual art festival, Harutema Ten, held in Kyoto. Last year, he published his first illustrated poetry collection, Ayafufami no Shima. Currently, Yamada resides in Hayama, Kanagawa where he has a hilltop studio overlooking the sea. He shares his home with his adopted orphaned goat, Meitaro.

At this exhibition, the artist presented his pictorial diary series, abstract depictions inspired by his island trips and everyday views from his atelier window. They reflect the artist's sentiment in his displacement from urban life and proximity to nature's stillness. Through this series, the artist reveals his daily intuitive practice, as seen through his personal, characteristic renditions of sunsets and seascapes. The paintings invite viewers to question how one can express, embrace, and accept unmediated, honest emotions. The artist's practice is his spiritual autobiography - an exploration of gentleness and tranquility as well as grief and sorrow.

Katherine Yuri Shapiro was born in Tokyo to a Japanese mother and a Ukrainian Jewish father. She taught herself art and pursued her own exploration and artwork after graduating from university. She led a nomadic lifestyle, wandering around the world and experiencing various ways of life. Currently, she lives in the oak-filled Minho Valley in northern Portugal with her partner Escott and their cat Nimbus, living in a yurt (Mongolian ger) as a base for her creative activities.

In this exhibition, the artist showcases her works inspired by her experiences living in India, Thailand, and Portugal. The exhibition allows visitors to perceive the artist's unique worldview by incorporating the dialogue with the natural environment and reflecting it in her artwork, adapting to the changes in her lifestyle. Throughout the exhibition period, she was present and engaged in direct communication with visitors. This enabled her to convey her lifestyle and the messages behind her artworks directly. Additionally, she deeply interacted with each visitor, engaging in profound discussions about her personal lifestyle choices and her sensibilities. Despite her lifestyle being outside the modern conveniences, her solid core, akin to the trunk of an oak tree, and her free mind always provided a sense of reassurance and warmth to those who came to see her.

Escott Iain Reid is an engineer who works in the fields of mechanical engineering and ecological environmental studies. Over the past 10 years, he has traveled to more than 65 countries and has been internationally active as an artist, photographer, and consultant for startups and design projects. Currently, he resides in a oak-wood dwelling in the forests of northern Portugal, living in his self-built off-grid home while being involved in ecological architecture and regenerative agroforestry projects.

In this exhibition, he showcases travel memoirs that question the connection between individuals and the developed digital technologies in contemporary society. He also presents ecologically-minded architecture that seeks harmony between nature and urban environments, inspired by the order of ecosystems. Additionally, he displays records of his woodworking projects and the construction of a circular forest farming system. His way of life, as well as his words, resonate with many visitors.

These words make us aware of the unconscious fear that exists in our modern information society, and they resonate with many of us. This exhibition, which represents Escott Reed's interdisciplinary work as a writer and his own lifestyle as a medium of expression, demonstrates that one's way of life can become a form of expression itself. As the artist has shown, ArtX recognizes that everyone can express themselves through their way of life and considers works like Escott's as one of the expressions of art. We would like to continue supporting such works in the future.

Naomi Kobayashi grew up near the ocean in Kamakura City, Shonan. At the age of 18, he became a professional surfer and excelled in numerous contests since his amateur days. Currently, he is also active as an emerging photographer who creates photo and video works by combining the images in his mind with the subjects right in front of him. He is a multi-talented artist who showcases surfing videos as his subjects in media and holds screenings, both in Japan and overseas.

In this exhibition, he presents an installation of photographic works that combine everyday scenes from the surfer community. Through surfing, which forms the basis of his lifestyle, or through the surfer community itself, he expresses the sense of balance felt when interacting with the sea through photography. During the exhibition, he himself is present, and members of the surfer community frequently visit to see his works, providing an opportunity to show a new aspect of him as an artist. Furthermore, the collaged works combining everyday scenes reveal the artist's excellent sense of balance. Despite the somewhat relaxed composition, the overall impact of the artwork remains uncompromised, perhaps reflecting the balance he has cultivated through surfing. Even during the exhibition, not only the surfer community but also many other people gather to see his works, drawn by his calm personality.

Riko Shuri Monma is a contemporary artist from New Zealand based in Tokyo. She has an academic background in chemistry, physics, and engineering, and enrolled in a US university at the age of 14. Inspired by various perspectives discussing the physical and metaphysical, her works are an exploration of the forms found in nature that have been captured and understood through science and archaeology, transcending time. Her artistic process serves as a means to understand herself, a collection of thoughts and hopes, and whimsical imaginings that come to mind. Additionally, she is also the director of ArtX Auction, where she curates projects that address various issues of contemporary society, ranging from art auctions to enlightenment and education.

In this exhibition, there are works inspired by New Zealand culture and nature, as well as works inspired by the philosopher Aristotle's concept of self-love. All the works created with the awareness that fundamentally nature and humans are interconnected, reflect the artist's intuitive expression of her conflicting emotions and interpretations of the environment in Tokyo, which contrasts with her cultural background. During the exhibition period, live painting demonstrations will also take place. The sight of her painting on a canvas filled with energy, combined with its delicacy, draws viewers into her worldview.

Robin Rastenberger is a soundscapes producer and singer-songwriter based in Tokyo. The sounds he creates are sourced from the natural sounds of his own environment. Drawing inspiration from various genres of music such as electronica, sound therapy, ethnic music, and classical music, he engages in multifaceted creative activities involving sound, such as producing and performing for fashion films, runways, commercials, exhibitions, and art installations.

In this exhibition, he has produced a soundwork called "Principle 4" specifically for this purpose. The sound is based on creating a space where seven artists come together, using music to express the natural sounds of his own environment. Additionally, live performances will be conducted during the exhibition, allowing people from diverse backgrounds to listen to the artist's voice.