Italian Luxury Furniture Brand "Poltrona Frau" to Host Special Exhibition "Shishu Exhibition ~ Encounter with Different Cultures" with Calligrapher Shishu, Participating in "Osaka Art & Design 2026"

Poltrona Frau, a leading Italian luxury furniture brand, will participate in "Osaka Art & Design 2026" (hereinafter, OAD), an art and design event held in Osaka, from Thursday, May 28, 2026, to Tuesday, June 23, 2026.

OAD is a touring event where visitors can encounter art and design throughout the city of Osaka, spanning from Umeda to Shinsaibashi, Namba, and Abeno. Diverse exhibitions by up-and-coming creators will be showcased at approximately 60 department stores, commercial facilities, galleries, and interior shops, enveloping the entire city in creative energy.

As part of this event, Poltrona Frau Osaka will host a special exhibition, "Shishu Exhibition ~ Encounter with Different Cultures," in collaboration with calligrapher Shishu, who elevates Japanese thought and culture into contemporary art. This exhibition was realized through the resonance of both parties, who share a common pursuit of craftsmanship supported by solid tradition and a creative philosophy that seeks innovation.

At the venue, a variety of new works will be exhibited, including pieces that fuse Italian classical painting techniques with calligraphy, new calligraphic expressions that incorporate the ideas of oil painting to challenge the concept of negative space, and three-dimensional works that expand ink lines into solids.

Enjoy an artistic experience that transcends conventional boundaries, alongside Poltrona Frau's exquisite space.

["Shishu Exhibition ~ Encounter with Different Cultures" Event Outline]

Poltrona Frau Osaka

Exhibition Period: May 28 (Thu) - June 23 (Tue), 2026

Opening Hours: 11:00 - 19:00 Closed: Wednesdays, Saturdays *Open on public holidays

*Poltrona Frau Osaka is closed on Wednesdays and Saturdays, so it will be closed on Wednesday, May 27, despite being within the OAD period. The exhibition will begin on Thursday, May 28. URL: https://www.idc-otsuka.jp/poltrona-frau-tokyo-aoyama/shop/osaka

[Osaka Art & Design 2026 Outline]

Period: May 27 (Wed) - June 23 (Tue), 2026

Area: Umeda / Dojima / Nakanoshima / Kyomachibori / Honmachi / Shinsaibashi / Namba / Abeno / and other locations throughout Osaka City

Organizer: Osaka Art & Design Executive Committee

Official Event Website: https://www.osaka-artanddesign.com/

Features of Exhibited Works (Partial Excerpt)

Ink Traces Liberated from Paper [Three-dimensional Calligraphy]

Calligraphic sculptures created by returning to the history of writing. The origin of writing dates back to oracle bone script, born approximately 3300 years ago. At that time, characters were carved into the bones of cattle and deer. That space was not flat; characters originally existed as three-dimensional forms.

Shishu drew inspiration from this origin and devised a unique expression that liberates characters from paper. It is a new artistic expression of calligraphy where the rhythm of the brush and even the timeline of its creation are visualized, even for people unfamiliar with Japanese culture and language.

Oil Painting Concept x Calligraphy [Calligraphy without Negative Space]

Oil paintings are completed by layering thousands upon thousands of brushstrokes, including the background. In contrast, Japanese paintings and calligraphy value "negative space" as beauty, but due to their simplicity, they were sometimes regarded as "unfinished" by Western standards.

Shishu focused on this fundamental difference and dared to challenge traditional negative space. She constructed the background by layering countless strokes on handmade Japanese paper by a Living National Treasure. The negative space, which was previously "empty space," transformed into a "lingering impression" with density. On this, brushstrokes are carved with special ink combining traditional techniques and new materials.

The works possess both the beauty of subtraction unique to calligraphy and the profound presence of oil painting. The fusion of Eastern and Western sensibilities has elevated them into art that vividly resonates in contemporary spaces.

Profile Shishu

Calligrapher / Artist / Professor at Osaka University of Arts

Began calligraphy at age six. Trained for three years in Nara and Kyoto. Ordained at Todai-ji Temple. Her works, which reconstruct traditional culture with a new approach, such as 'Calligraphy,' 'Three-dimensional Calligraphy' that liberates calligraphy from the constraints of flat surfaces and traditional culture, and 'Calligraphy Painting' where characters merge with painting, are said to be Japan's unique contemporary art in the world. Overseas, she received the "Gold Medal" for calligraphy painting and the "Highest Gold Medal" for sculpture at the Salon des Beaux-Arts in the Louvre Museum, France, becoming the first Japanese to achieve a double award. The following year, she was selected as the "Guest of Honor Artist" at the same exhibition and held a large-scale exhibition. Domestically, Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress (now Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita) visited the 'Shishu' exhibition, and Shishu herself guided them. She also created title calligraphy for NHK Taiga drama "Ryomaden" and "Binotsubo." https://www.e-sisyu.com/

[About Poltrona Frau] Founded in 1912, representing Italy.