Group Exhibition “Before Spring”

February 3 (Tue) – February 28 (Sat), 2026
12:00 – 18:00
/ Closed on Mon. Sun. Holiday

Sho+1 is pleased to announce the group exhibition “Before Spring” by Clara Desire, Katsuhiko Brian Sato and fusengirl from Tuesday, February 3 through Saturday, February 28, 2026. 

This exhibition is timed to coincide with the season when winter’s stillness intersects with the promise of spring, presenting works in which artists depicts time and sensibility from their own unique perspective. Clara Desire and Katsuhiko Brian Sato have created new works, specifically for this exhibition while fusengirl will present selection of earlier works that can be seen as an accumulation of her daily practice. 

The works by these three artists possesses an expressive quality that resonates with the viewer’s everyday sensibilities, and they share a common ground in how chance and spirituality emerge through the process of creation.

Desire’s work is characterized by expressive impulses and vivid color, often incorporating text drawn from literature and music. By visualizing dreams and subconscious imagery, her works resonate with the viewer’s inner imagination.

Sato has consistently pursued evocative visual expression through the use of pop and allegorical motifs since he has started an artistic practice. His distinctive visual vocabulary instinctively evokes viewers’ memories and emotions, forming the foundation that gives the works their individuality and powerful visual impact.

The fusengirl Alt. series, presented by fusengirl views the world we live in from a broad perspective, while the intersection of specific contexts or narratives with the artist’s viewpoint invites each viewer to interpret the works through stories shaped by their own experiences and memories.

We look forward to your visit to the gallery.

Exhibitors

Clara Desire
Born in La Rochelle, France in 1978
Clara Desire had an experience to live in Japan in 2002 and devoted herself to Japanese anime culture. Then she established her own style to absorb various anime characters into her artwork with graffiti touch. In the solo exhibition in 2021, Desire had felt a strong interest in Japanese anime and she had launched serious series on such topics. Her new body of work reflects stories to confirm her whereabouts by the expression of revelatory characters and words to be appeared in her dreams repeatedly.

fusengirl®︎
Graduated from graduate school of department of Japanese painting at Tokyo University of the Arts
fusengirl has been meticulously drawing the faces of fictional characters, one per day, on Post-it notes since January 1st, 2020. Her works, shared by many of her fans through social media, offer not only visual beauty but also provide the viewer with empathy and a new perspective by visually expressing the daily shifts of emotions.
In the fusengirl Alt. series that she is presenting in this exhibition, her practice expands from Post-it notes to a wide range of supports – including canvas, drawing paper, coasters, cards, and leaflets – on which she depicts figures. The techniques she employs are equally diverse, allowing viewers to directly witness the depth and assurance of her abilities as an artist.

Katsuhiko Brian Sato
Born in Sendai City, Miyagi in 1968
Sato began painting as a self-taught artist at the age of 25. He gained popularity for works combining brown-skinned women with charming animals and comic-style characters. After relocating his base from Tokyo to Sendai in 2001, Sato was directly affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. Such incident caused Sato to create more social and political theme of work in parallel with his conventional dreamy paintings. A close encounter with a UFO experienced in the autumn of 2024 profoundly disrupted his understanding of gravity, time, and the very concept of existence itself, marking a major turning point in his artistic practice. His work explores themes of “presence” and “fluctuation” that lie beneath the visible world, with a strong focus on light, transparency, and layered structures. He has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Japan and abroad, including art fairs.