Hello everyone,
Toyomi Dubai’s largest solo exhibition of 2025,
“Yin-Yang Art® — Beyond Light and Darkness,” has officially begun.
It’s hard to believe that only three weeks have passed since the “Creation of Heaven and Earth” exhibition at Dojidai Gallery in Kyoto closed in October.
The new solo show, which opened on Monday, November 10, has already reached its halfway point — time truly flies.
This exhibition features two major challenges I set for myself:
- Showcasing the large A1-size series as the main works of the venue.
- Publishing a photo book of my long-running Flower Portrait series.
Here is a glimpse of the venue — six large-scale pieces lined up together create an overwhelming presence, almost like stepping into a museum.
Here’s what the A1 size looks like — huge, and absolutely perfect.
And then, the long-awaited dream — creating my own photo book.
I had made small booklets before, but this is the first time I compiled works all the way up to 2025. Honestly, I wanted to finish it in time for my solo exhibition in January. Then I hoped to finish it for my July exhibition. When that didn’t happen, I thought, “At least before the two-person show in October.” But it still wasn’t ready.
And finally — just barely — it made it in time for the November exhibition.
(Why it took so long? Because I held Art Runway in May, July, and September. That’s the real reason.)
I prepared one sample copy for the gallery and three copies for sale.
Two have already been purchased. Someone bought my photo book — that feeling cannot be captured by the simple word “happy.”
It’s closer to the feeling of having someone accept your proposal.
It felt like my entire life had been received.
As if I was finally able to entrust someone with the “will” I had written after stripping away every last attachment of this lifetime.
It’s a kind of joy that is hard to describe — more like, “I’m glad I stayed alive. I’m glad I didn’t give up.”
One visitor told me, “I want to read this with a glass of wine. If this were placed at a bar counter, I’d drink even more.”
And truly, that’s exactly right. Toyomi Dubai photo books deserve to be in bars across Japan.
Taking that compliment at face value — I decided to sell the book online. I’ll announce the details soon.
Today, a new visitor wandered into the gallery and asked, “Do you like Araki?”
My Flower Portrait project is often loved not only by women, but by men as well.
Talking with someone about how “withered flowers are beautiful” is such bliss.
Why do artists exhibit their work?
- To reconstruct their own body of work and step into a new cycle of creation.
- To invite viewers into their world and share beautiful words together.
- To be intoxicated by their own work and replenish the creative energy needed for the next creation.
- To report to the gods of creation, “I have made something this beautiful.”
- To meet the people they are meant to meet, and vow to walk together into a richer, more beautiful world.
Before this exhibition started, I honestly thought, “Maybe I should take a break from showing my work.”
I felt exhausted — physically and financially.
But the moment this exhibition began, a different version of me appeared:
the me who said, “I will absolutely do this again.”
