Hyakka Ryoran - Pair of folding screens (each panel 1500 x 498mm) Oil on canvas, 2026 We are pleased to announce the solo exhibition "Rinne" by contemporary artist Hiroko Nakakita, to be held from July 15 (Wed) to July 20 (Mon, holiday), 2026, at the 6th-floor art gallery of Nihonbashi Takashimaya S.C. Main Building. Regarding this solo exhibition, held in the year of her 25th anniversary as an artist, Hiroko Nakakita has provided the following statement: In this solo exhibition, I will be creating works based on the themes of "apoptosis" and "reincarnation (Rinne)" which I have explored for many years. "Apoptosis" depicts the process by which life, having fulfilled its role, connects to a new cycle, while "Rinne" portrays the flow of life, being reborn within that cycle and embracing change to move forward. Having grown up in the Hanshin region, I have continued to create in silence for a long time. The Hanshin region is a place where modern lifestyle culture and traditional values coexist, and it was also the cultural soil that fostered the birth of the Gutai Art Association after the war. The richness and contradictions of this region have deeply influenced my sensibilities. Furthermore, as I delve into the past, I am drawn to the figures of women who lived during the Taisho era. Even in a society with many constraints, their "freedom within constraints," as they believed in their own sensibilities, chose their attire and way of life, and sought new forms of expression, shone with a quiet, unwavering will, influencing the depth of my work and the foundation of my expression. By layering the environment of the Hanshin region and my own experiences with kimonos and their patterns, I superimpose the cycle and transformation of life, and the beauty of freedom within constraints, onto my works. Wave patterns and bird motifs are incorporated into the works. The wave pattern symbolizes the flow of time and the rhythm of change, reflecting the continuity of past and futu