Landscape, Cruel Yet Kind

Nikuihodo Yasashii (Cruelly Kind) was once the slogan of Yubido, a former framing shop. The phrase itself was inspired by the shop's telephone number, 3291-8341. Founded in the aftermath of World War II, when Tokyo still lay in ruins, Yubido operated above an underground air-raid shelter and displayed a large sign of Mount Fuji, offering the neighborhood a quiet symbol of hope. In a time when conflict and division continue to intensify around the world, Yubido's message of Nikuihodo Yasashii resonates with renewed relevance, reminding us of the importance of dialogue, empathy and kindness. This exhibition brings together the expressive qualities of each artwork with the memories embedded in Yubido, seeking to curate a Landscape, Cruel Yet Kind. Here, landscape is understood not only as the view before us, but also as something shaped by memory, time, emotion and our relationships with others. It is our hope that Yubido itself, with its history and atmosphere, will activate ways of seeing that a conventional white cube cannot, allowing visitors to discover a landscape that is, indeed, cruel yet kind.