Nureki Chimuo Archive

Akiyoshi Ran: Phantoms of a Land of Pleasure The Unknown World of Akiyoshi Ran Akiyoshi Ran (1922-1981), a solitary master of fantastic art. The Abnormal Museum houses a vast collection of nearly 500 original artworks donated by the Akiyoshi family. To coincide with the release of “Akiyoshi Ran and Aya Shijo: A Utopia of Eros and Fantasy Abnormal Museum’s Secret Collection Vol. 1” (published by Atelier Third), we are pleased to present an in-house exhibition featuring original artworks by Akiyoshi Ran that have never before been shown to the public. The works created for various subculture magazines including vintage Showa-era SM publications such as Uramado and Suspense Magazine serve to express the very indulgence in unearthly beauty and the absurd impulses stirring deep within Akiyoshi Ran himself. Even today, they beckon us toward a mysterious state of ecstasy. A utopia of chaotic fantasies, delusions, and visions lurking within an “abnormal” world. In this exhibition, the first in approximately three years to be open to the general public, the gallery will be filled with a collection of works designed to stimulate the deepest recess of the viewer’s sensibility and ignite a vivid imagination.

Akiyoshi Ran was a painter whom Tatsuhiko Shibusawa described as an artist “who could unashamedly drown himself in his own dreams,” yet he passed away in near-obscurity. A posthumous exhibition of his work was held at the Aoki Gallery the year following his passing (1982), and the resplendent world of imagery he created, steeped in eroticism and fantasy, sent shockwaves through many who beheld it. However Akiyoshi Ran possessed another facet to his artistic identity. From around 1950 and spanning many years thereafter, he continued to create cover art and illustrations for subculture

magazines. Although these magazines were mass-produced and consumed by the general public, the artwork continued within them was by no means mere side work to be dismissed lightly. Rather, it embodied a profound worldview on par with his fine art painting, lending a distinct sense of dignity to the publications in which it appeared. Tatsuhiko Shibusawa once described Akiyoki’s work, with a note of envy, as popular surrealism. It could be argued that the very stage upon which this popular sensibility and his surrealist fantasies truly intertwined was found within the pages of those very subculture magazines. However, precisely because they were published in periodicals of an erotic nature, magazines often read and then discarded them, the work produced for such publications was long overlooked. Now, coinciding with the release of an art book dedicated to works featured in these very magazines, we were holding a simultaneous exhibition at two venues in Tokyo to shed light on a lesser-known facet of the artist Akiyoshi Ran. At the Aoki Gallery in Ginza, a hallowed ground for fantastic art, we will display approximately 20 previously unpublished works (comprising of oil paintings, gouaches, and pencil drawings) held in the private collection of the Akiyoshi family. Meanwhile, at the Abnormal Museum, Japan’s only library dedicated exclusively to SM and fetishism, we will exhibit around 70 works, focusing primarily on magazine illustrations and include pieces not featured in the new art book. Every piece in this exhibition is being shown to the public for the very first time, making this a truly rare and invaluable opportunity. The profound depth of Akiyoshi’s world remains undimmed even today. This exhibition is sure to captivate not only his longtime admirers but also a new generation of art enthusiasts. We sincerely hope you will take this opportunity to visit both the Aoki Gallery and the Abnormal Museum to fully immerse yourselves in the boundless allure of Akiyoshi Ran.

At the Abnormal Museum, in addition to the original artworks, we will also display a variety of related archival materials from our collection. Our exhibition will feature cover art, both original illustration and clippings, by Akiyoshi Ran. This includes his work for such well-known titles as SM King, SM Kitan, and SM Club (please note, however, that since the sheer volume of issues for which Akiyoshi designed covers across these various magazines is immense, our display will consist of a curated selection covering specific time periods). We will also showcase covers from the cult-favorite Mysterious Magazine, as well as from Decameron, a kasutori magazine for which few people today are even aware Akiyoshi provided cover art. A selection of these items

will be available for you to handle and examine up close. We invite you to take your time and enjoy browsing the display. Isis’s Backyard Available starting November 11, 2010 Daydreaming Girls Club “Issue 1, Isis’s Backyard” Kayako Saeki: Editor, Daydreaming Girls Club: Production Abnormal Museum: Publisher “Isis’s Backyard," a fetish literary magazine by women, for women, has been launched. This beautiful fanzine is packed with 12 exquisite works, including novels, poetry, manga, senryu, and translated fiction, that express the authors’ sexuality through a variety of artistic forms. We highly recommend this not only to women who love novels, but also to men who feel something is lacking in the utilitarian works that flood today’s media. Additionally, the Daydreaming Girls Club is always accepting submissions from women who love to express themselves. If you’ve been hesitant to publish because you couldn’t find a suitable outlet, or if you’d rather have your cherished work savored slowly with the tactile feel of paper rather than skimmed online, and you’ve enjoyed “Isis’s Backyard,” please feel free to contact us. (Please check here for details on submitting your work) A5 size, black and white, 96 pages total. Non-members are also welcome to purchase this book. Please feel free to visit us.