Miyauchi Yuka is a “squid artist painter” who has been creating squid art, fueled by her bottomless passion for exploring them, ever since she became fascinated with the beauty and tastiness of squids.

Using pigments extracted from these creatures, Miyauchi has been creating artworks that resonate with the life and death of squids. She completed her largest work to date in 2021 in an open studio project in Yusui Town, Kagoshima Prefecture. In this work, she expressed the joy of living by applying deep colors to the canvas while pondering our society and daily lives.

This exhibition focuses on the beauty and fragility of the fascinating living being, that is, the squid. Through Miyauchi’s works reflecting the changes in society and her inner life, the show creates an opportunity to reconsider the state of our civilization and way of living in the modern world.

【Sponsor】Kirishima Open-Air Museum

【Support】Kagoshima Broadcasting Corporation

【Cooperation】IKASHO／IKADORAKU／WAHEI Inc.／SUMIYA／NISSHO GAKUEN Kagoshima Josei High School

【Program】

■Workshop “Make & Fly Squid Kites”

Make your own original squid kite painted with various squid inks of different colors.

First Session: Sunday, March 26, 13:30 –

Second Session: Sunday, April 16, 13:30 –

Participation Fee: 200 yen per person / Capacity: approximately 15 persons per session

*Admission fee is also required to enter the museum.

■Bicolor Squid Curry, an original dish created with local high school students (Its original name, Bicaraa Karee, is a wordplay in Japanese, where “ico” in the word bicolor has the same sound as “ika,” meaning squid.)

Bicolor Squid Curry illustration

Limited servings of 100 per day / starting Wednesday, February 22

Squid Artist Painter Miyauchi Yuka collaborated with sophomore students at Kagoshima Josei Highschool Culinary Department to create the original curry. It will be served at the cafe & shop in the museum’s main building.

* Squid Curry Official Instagram account

■Gallery talks by the museum’s curator

Thursday, February 23 (National Holiday); Saturday, March 4; Tuesday, March 21; Starting at 14:00

■Spring vacation limited project Let’s draw a squid coloring book

■Original squid motif items and books are for sale at the cafe & shop in the museum’s main building

【Images】

The exhibition will show approximately 40 works, including paintings, illustrations, and installations.

“Squid Squid Heaven (IkaIka Tengoku)” 2021, (Ikiiki Center Kurinosato)

“Squid World (Ika Sekai)” 2022

“Anatomy of a Bigfin Reefsquid” 2022

“Eyeball of a Fresh Bigfin Reefsquid” 2022

 

＊　Click here for the exhibition leaflet

＊　Official Instagram account of “Squid World”