COPYCENTER GALLERY to Host Duo Exhibition by Misa Shigemitsu and Isho Lee Exploring Themes of Absence and Memory
The art gallery COPYCENTER GALLERY in Itabashi, Tokyo, will hold a two-person exhibition, "I'm just popping out for eggs," by artists Misa Shigemitsu and Isho Lee from May 19 to 31, 2026. The exhibition explores the presence of what was 'supposed to be there' in daily life through installations using sound, video, and stencils, focusing on themes of "absence," "memory," and "relationships with others."
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From Tuesday, May 19 to Sunday, May 31, 2026, the art gallery COPYCENTER GALLERY in Itabashi, Tokyo, will host "I'm just popping out for eggs," a two-person exhibition by artists Misa Shigemitsu and Isho Lee.
This exhibition will feature installations that touch upon the presence of things 'supposed to be there,' using fragments and words lingering in the gaps of everyday life as clues. The core themes are "absence," "memory," and "relationships with others."
■ Focusing on the Presence of What Was 'Supposed to Be There' — Absence, Memory, and Relationships
Words spoken in daily life often remain as empty spaces even after their purpose is served. Similarly, in our minds, memories that have lost their place may wander. This exhibition listens to the absence that coexists with presence, gazing at the relationships with someone or something else that lies within.
■ The Two Artists' Expressions Using Sound, Video, and a Collaborative Stencil Work
Misa Shigemitsu will exhibit works created from sonic and poetic approaches, focusing on the self and another presence nearby. Her video-centered pieces explore the fragility of human relationships and things that continue to exist even in their absence. She will also present a sound installation that captures the invisible traces of sound, confronting the memories and stories hidden within objects.
Isho Lee creates installation works using various media, primarily video. For this exhibition, he will unveil a new video piece that superimposes animation created with the rotoscoping technique—a method he has been developing in recent years—onto live-action footage. Using subtle fragments from daily life as a starting point, he examines ordinary landscapes and the underlying social norms, attempting to visualize individual memories and identities.
Furthermore, a collaborative work by the two artists will depart from the exhibition's title, "I'm just popping out for eggs." Referencing the spray and stencil method used for communication and warnings in public spaces, everyday words will take on different forms and be scattered throughout the venue.
■ Exhibition Overview
Exhibition Name: Misa Shigemitsu & Isho Lee Duo Exhibition "I'm just popping out for eggs"
Artists: Misa Shigemitsu, Isho Lee
Dates: May 19 (Tue) - May 31 (Sun), 2026
Hours: 13:00 - 19:00
Admission: 500 yen (Card, select QR, and e-money payments only)
Venue: COPYCENTER GALLERY (B1F, Mikuni Bldg. Right, 4-4-2 Itabashi, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-0004)
Website: https://copycenter.gallery/blogs/exhibition/20260519
■ Artist Profiles
Misa Shigemitsu
From Kochi Prefecture. After studying musicology and composition at university, she began creating expressions centered on sound. She explores sound as an existence beyond human control and questions the ephemerality of all things from a non-anthropocentric perspective. She produces sound for exhibition spaces and performing arts, sound objects, and installation works.
Lee Isho
Born in China. Completed his master's degree in oil painting at Musashino Art University in 2023. Currently works and resides in Tokyo. He questions the relationship between the identities of people from different cultural backgrounds and the existing order in urban spaces, primarily using anonymous landscapes as a motif. He uses diverse media such as video, photography, and text to attempt to scoop up the invisible layers hidden within real time and space. Since 2020, he has focused on video works using the rotoscoping technique, which involves tracing live-action footage.
This exhibition will feature installations that touch upon the presence of things 'supposed to be there,' using fragments and words lingering in the gaps of everyday life as clues. The core themes are "absence," "memory," and "relationships with others."
■ Focusing on the Presence of What Was 'Supposed to Be There' — Absence, Memory, and Relationships
Words spoken in daily life often remain as empty spaces even after their purpose is served. Similarly, in our minds, memories that have lost their place may wander. This exhibition listens to the absence that coexists with presence, gazing at the relationships with someone or something else that lies within.
■ The Two Artists' Expressions Using Sound, Video, and a Collaborative Stencil Work
Misa Shigemitsu will exhibit works created from sonic and poetic approaches, focusing on the self and another presence nearby. Her video-centered pieces explore the fragility of human relationships and things that continue to exist even in their absence. She will also present a sound installation that captures the invisible traces of sound, confronting the memories and stories hidden within objects.
Isho Lee creates installation works using various media, primarily video. For this exhibition, he will unveil a new video piece that superimposes animation created with the rotoscoping technique—a method he has been developing in recent years—onto live-action footage. Using subtle fragments from daily life as a starting point, he examines ordinary landscapes and the underlying social norms, attempting to visualize individual memories and identities.
Furthermore, a collaborative work by the two artists will depart from the exhibition's title, "I'm just popping out for eggs." Referencing the spray and stencil method used for communication and warnings in public spaces, everyday words will take on different forms and be scattered throughout the venue.
■ Exhibition Overview
Exhibition Name: Misa Shigemitsu & Isho Lee Duo Exhibition "I'm just popping out for eggs"
Artists: Misa Shigemitsu, Isho Lee
Dates: May 19 (Tue) - May 31 (Sun), 2026
Hours: 13:00 - 19:00
Admission: 500 yen (Card, select QR, and e-money payments only)
Venue: COPYCENTER GALLERY (B1F, Mikuni Bldg. Right, 4-4-2 Itabashi, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-0004)
Website: https://copycenter.gallery/blogs/exhibition/20260519
■ Artist Profiles
Misa Shigemitsu
From Kochi Prefecture. After studying musicology and composition at university, she began creating expressions centered on sound. She explores sound as an existence beyond human control and questions the ephemerality of all things from a non-anthropocentric perspective. She produces sound for exhibition spaces and performing arts, sound objects, and installation works.
Lee Isho
Born in China. Completed his master's degree in oil painting at Musashino Art University in 2023. Currently works and resides in Tokyo. He questions the relationship between the identities of people from different cultural backgrounds and the existing order in urban spaces, primarily using anonymous landscapes as a motif. He uses diverse media such as video, photography, and text to attempt to scoop up the invisible layers hidden within real time and space. Since 2020, he has focused on video works using the rotoscoping technique, which involves tracing live-action footage.