Art Exhibition Held at the Edge of Yamagata's Spectacular "Shirakawa Lake Submerged Forest"! Iide Town Wood Craftsmen Project "Kazuma no Moribiraki"

The Artist-in-Residence "Iide Town Wood Craftsmen Project" involves artists staying in the Nakatsugawa area of Iide Town, Yamagata Prefecture, a special heavy snowfall region, interacting with residents, and creating works and sculptures using the abundant broadleaf trees. Two artists who participated in the 2025 program, Takahiro Miyahara (sculptor) and Akira Yamamoto (painter), will unveil new works. In addition, works previously created in the area will also be exhibited, and the exhibition "Kazuma no Moribiraki" will be held for 23 days.

Mr. Miyahara was overwhelmed by the energy of nature that seemed to envelop the lives of people living in harmony with the harshness of heavy snowfall in winter. Ms. Yamamoto witnessed a primitive desire for creation among people who freely drew pictures with colors and shapes on magnolia boards amidst the pure white snow. In this peripheral land, far from the city, the incompatibility and wildness between supposedly modernized humans and untamed nature are exposed, making one realize that perhaps these two were never meant to be controlled. With "power" as the keyword, Mr. Miyahara will present video and sculpture based on his research, while Ms. Yamamoto will exhibit an installation re-editing works created by workshop participants. The artists' different approaches will bring a fresh breeze and open Kazuma no Mori towards spring. During the exhibition period, events such as guided walking tours explaining the works are also planned.

The venue for this exhibition is the area around Shirakawa Lake's submerged forest, which has gained popularity in recent years and was selected by National Geographic as one of the "World's Best Travel Destinations for 2026". We hope that by visiting this exhibition as part of your spring outing, you will have an opportunity to re-examine the forest and nature.

【Overview】

Date & Time｜April 25, 2026 (Sat) - May 17, 2026 (Sun) 9:00-16:00, total 23 days

Venue｜Kazuma no Mori (Kazuma 380, Iide Town)・Shirakawa Lake Shore Park (Kazuma 218-1, Iide Town)

Organizer｜Iide Town Nakatsugawa Moribito-kai

Cooperation｜Shirakawa Onsen Shirakawaso

【Events】

Kazuma no Mori Walking Tour (Free participation / No reservation required)

Date & Time｜April 25, 2026 (Sat) 14:00-15:00 Kazuma no Mori (Kazuma 380, Iide Town)

We will walk through the spring forest and talk in front of the exhibited works. The artists might also join us! Please come in comfortable clothes and shoes (or boots).

※Additional events are planned. In that case, announcements will be made on Instagram @iide_wood_studio as needed.

【Artist Profiles】

Takahiro Miyahara (Sculptor)

Born in Saitama Prefecture in 1982. Part-time lecturer at Tohoku University of Art and Design, Department of Sculpture. After mastering special effects makeup techniques, he studied modern sculpture based on Mono-ha and Minimal Art at Tokyo University of the Arts, attempting new developments in sculpture that are not bound by technique or material. Currently, he is interested in the "boundaries" of various things and presents works based on indigenous syncretism regarding Yorishiro (objects housing spirits) in sculpture.

Akira Yamamoto (Painter)

A painter who searches for what lies between perceptions. Since her stay in the United States in 2006, maps have also appeared as motifs, and she explores the space between color and form. In recent years, beyond painting, she has been trying to interpret the meaning of long-existing places by holding exhibitions and workshops in rich natural environments such as Nagano Prefecture (Kiso Paintings) and Kagawa Prefecture (Setouchi Triennale 2025).