[Artist Announcement] Tokyo Pride 2026 Queer Art Exhibition: An Open Call Art Exhibition Showcasing Diverse Expressions

## Press Release Information
Title: [Artist Announcement] Tokyo Pride 2026 Queer Art Exhibition: An Open Call Art Exhibition Showcasing Diverse Expressions
Subtitle:

Tokyo Rainbow Pride (Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Co-Representative Directors: Natsumi Yamada, Yuko Sato; hereinafter TRP) will hold the "Queer Art Exhibition" (hereinafter, this exhibition) as an official program of "Tokyo Pride 2026," which will take place in June 2026.

This project will exhibit queer art pieces by artists selected through an open call, visualizing diverse expressions and creating a space to connect individual expression with society.

Furthermore, as an initiative to support artists' activities, the exhibition will feature artwork sales, a tip system, and a visitor-participatory voting project. A talk event will also be held, focusing on the current state and future of queer art.

◼︎ Background and Highlights of the Exhibition

Art has the power to reflect diverse ways of life and values, fostering empathy and dialogue.

By exhibiting queer art pieces born from the experiences and culture of the LGBTQ+ community, we aim to widely convey the diverse forms and possibilities of expression to a broader audience.

We will create opportunities for visitors to encounter artworks, feel and think from their own perspectives, and connect with the artworks, people, and society.

This year, marking its second year, we will hold a talk event as an opportunity to delve deeper into the world of queer art. By sharing perspectives behind the artworks and their creation, we aim to spread queer art as a "culture" throughout society.

■ Featured Works (Partial List)

- Kazutaka Nagashima "Outline of Life・Taurus"
In this work, the artist expresses the loneliness and discomfort felt while confronting their own gender identity, overlaying it with the Minotaur from mythology. The Minotaur is a bull-headed, human-bodied monster from Greek mythology. The uncontrollable monster was eventually confined to a labyrinth and defeated by the hero Theseus. The artist incorporates feelings of low self-esteem since childhood, detachment from society, and the illusion of being a "monster" when comparing oneself to others. The artist hopes this work will be an opportunity to engage in dialogue with the "otherness" and "strangeness" within each person.

- Riricoco "Pink Pony Club"
This work was created with inspiration from Chappell Roan's song "Pink Pony Club." The Pink Pony Club is a metaphor for a space where everyone can safely be themselves and celebrate their existence with people like them. For the artist, who is queer and an immigrant, such a place is always a longing. This work is an homage to queer artists who have continued to express the voices of minorities, and at the same time, as a queer artist themselves, the artist wishes to convey the message to people like them that "there is a place where everyone can live as they are."

Participating Artists

This exhibition will feature diverse works by artists selected through an open call.

This year, 38 artists will participate, exhibiting 40 works.

*For profiles and artwork concepts of each artist, please visit the official website (https://pride.tokyo/queer-art/).

*The images shown are of some of the artists.

Aoi / Anzu / vivi & vela / Arisa Ueda / Takashi Otsuka a.k.a. taqotsuka / OTOKONOKOTO / Omochi / Yoshikazu Oribe / Kashima / KANE and KOTFE / Moe Kano / Kai Kawabata / kurukuru ART / Aya Suzuki / Kuro Roi / Kokoko / Zu Sakai / Shinji Suenami (Otsuka) / Stitchguy / TEN / Mitsuki Torikago / Michisuke Namioka / Nelson Hor Ee Herng / NOAH Fuchi Noah / Nomura / Gamako Basco / Katsuhiko Hayashi / Kosei Fujiki / HEY2 / Machikado Noir / Mitsuwa / Haruka Murakami / Moyori / Riricoco / Lin Jaihang / Hisaguri / Shohei / Kazutaka Nagashima / FROM THE HELL MAGAZINE

◼︎ Event Overview

Name: Tokyo Pride 2026 Queer Art Exhibition

Period: June 3 (Wed) - June 28 (Sun), 2026

Venue: Queer Space Tokyo (Minami Aoyama ST Building 1F, 7-10-3 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo)

Admission: Free

Opening Hours: 12:00 - 19:00 (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday)

Closed: Monday, Tuesday

Talk Event

During the exhibition period, we will welcome creators deeply involved in queer art to hold a talk event to consider the relationship between expression and society, and the current state and future of queer art.

[Event Outline]

Drawing Queer — Between Film and Society

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