'Illustrator Mizumaru Anzai Exhibition': Tracing the Complete Works of Mizumaru Anzai Through Over 500 Pieces

Mizumaru Anzai (1942-2014) was an illustrator who was active in various fields since the 1970s, including novels, manga, picture books, essays, and advertisements, and continues to fascinate many people today. This exhibition is a relaunch at PLAY! MUSEUM, adding new displays to the 'Illustrator Mizumaru Anzai Exhibition' that toured various locations since 2016. During his lifetime, Anzai described himself as 'an ordinary person who still draws like an elementary school student,' and continued to create by moving back and forth between 'work' and 'play.' PLAY! focuses on this style, introducing his entire body of work through over 400 items, including printed materials, original drawings, prints, and related documents, while tracing the sense of 'play' that was the origin of his drawing. The climax is the oval-shaped largest exhibition room at PLAY! MUSEUM. About 80 of his signature 'horizon works,' featuring a single horizontal line drawn on the screen, are displayed continuously on a 50-meter wall, connected to footage of the horizon of the sea in Chikura, Chiba, where Anzai grew up. It is a special space where you can be overwhelmed by the joy of looking at pictures and the joy of Anzai's drawing through his stylish, colorful, and nuanced works and the accompanying words.