It's not easy for young artists to show their work to the public and get feedback, or for the public to find artworks that they can easily afford.
This is where Giant Mango steps in. Jun Kurazume, the organization's founder and manager explains: "We find different approaches to helping artists and designers exhibit beyond the standard galleries and museums, and make art more fun and accessible."
Since 2008, Giant Mango has hosted more than 50 art and design shows at which visitors can buy artwork as well as watch performances and join in workshops.
This week, two events have been scheduled — Chips at Hillside Terrace Forum in Daikanyama, featuring more than 50 artists, and Art Garden at Shinjuku's Isetan Department Store, showcasing the work of 14 artists.
Both events will offer artworks, which range from ¥5,000-¥30,000 at Chips and ¥10,000-¥100,000 at Isetan, as well as a range of art goods from around ¥100 to ¥5,000. Not only this, but artists will be on hand to talk about their pieces and there will be a range of performances, including live painting (Art Garden) and art workshops (Chips).
Chips is a great opportunity to get children involved in art — there's a kids' exhibition space showcasing the work from two nursery schools, plus workshops where you can make notebooks, treasure boxes and more. For visitors who want to show artists their appreciation, they can also vote for their favorite Chips' artist, and five winners will get to host a show at the A Gallery of Daikanyama Hillside Terrace in October.
Chips runs from Aug 28-Sep 2 at Hillside Terrace Forum, Daikanyama, open 10:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. (Fri and Sun till 5 p.m.). Art Garden runs from Aug 29 to Sep 4 at Isetan, Shinjuku, open 10:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. (Fri and Sat 10:30 a.m. till 8 p.m.) in Aug, 10 a.m. till 8 p.m. in Sep. Both events are free to attend. For more information, visit www.claboratorys.com.
