The first solo exhibition in Japan for Xi Chen, an artist known for both directing animations in China and working as a painter, titled “Mythos in Ink: A Symphony of Creatures and Contradictions,” will be held at CALM & PUNK GALLERY in Roppongi, Tokyo, starting on February 9 (Friday).
Born in 1985, Xi Cheng is a painter with a background as an independent animation director who began making short animations in 2013. In 2022, he won the Special Jury Prize at Seoul Indie-AniFest 2022 for his animated feature film “Chicken Of The Mound.”
The exhibition will showcase five recent short story animations, video art pieces, as well as drawings and figures created in the 2010s. Through this comprehensive display of various media, Chen’s exploration of personal themes such as love, loss, and desire, as well as the evolving beliefs of individuals in contemporary society, including the ever-changing landscape of Chinese society, will be reflected.
On February 10 (Sat), a talk event is scheduled to be held with Shi Cheng, who is scheduled to visit Japan, and Yin Kanazawa, contemporary art curator and co-chair of Kodamachine. As another related event, the film “Chicken Mound” will be screened again for two weeks only at Theater Image Forum in Shibuya, Tokyo, starting on Saturday, January 27. Cheng himself wrote the original story, directed, wrote the script, produced, designed the characters, created the background art, animated, edited, and designed the soundtrack, all by himself.
Mythos in Ink: A Symphony of Creatures and Contradictions
Participating artist: Xi Chen (陈熹)
Dates: 2024.2.9 (Fri) ~ 2024.2.25 (Sun)
Opening hours: 13:00 ~ 19:00
Open: Wednesday ~ Saturday *Open only on Sunday of the last week
Admission: Free
In cooperation with: Daihiro Tanaka
Cooperation: Kodamachine
Venue: CALM & PUNK GALLERY
1F Asai Bldg., 1-15-15 Nishiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Access: 8 min. walk from Nogizaka Sta.
8 min. walk from Nogizaka station
15 min. walk from Roppongi station
15 min. walk from Hiroo station
HP: calmandpunk .com
Instagram: calmandpunkgallery
Profile
Xi Chen（ 陈熹)
Born in 1985
Xi Chen is a multi-talented artist who spends his life creating imaginary worlds that deal with the present and personal experiences. He has a background in drawing, painting, figurative work, and directing independent animation productions. His work has been exhibited at the Yu De Yao Museum of Art, Shanghai; Tokyo Museum of Photography, Tokyo; West Bund Art Center, Shanghai; Shanghai Himalayan Museum; OCAT Shanghai; CAFA Art Museum, Beijing; K11, Shanghai; and Boers-Li Gallery, Beijing, among others.
Screening Event
“The Chicken of the Mound” will be screened.
Screening schedule: January 27-February 9 (one screening each day at 21:15)
2021 / 83 min 39 sec / Color / DCP
Director, Producer, Original Story, Screenplay, Animation, Art direction, Music, Editing: Shi Chen
Distributor: tampen.jp / Cooperation: Image Forum / Screening material provided by: New Chitose Airport International Animation Film Festival
General Admission: 1,500 yen / College/University Students: 1,200 yen (Must show student ID card) / Seniors (60+): 1,200 yen / Members: 1,200 yen (Must show membership card. Up to 1 accompanying person gets the same discount) / Disabled Discount: 1,200 yen (Must show ID card. Up to 1 accompanying person gets the same discount)
There will be a talk show after the screening.
Saturday, January 27
Kotomi Deai (Animation director/director, director’s representative works: “Rolling☆Girls”, “Skips and Loafers”)
▼January 28 (Sunday)
Shingo Tamagawa (Filmmaker/Animator, Director’s representative work: “PUPARIA”)
▼January 29 (Monday)
Ryoshi Yamada (Animation artist/director, representative works: King Gnu〈PrayerX〉MV, Millennium Parade〈Trepanation〉MV)
