Okayama City's new art spot, "Elephant Gallery"

This time, we will introduce Elephant Gallery , which opened in Okayama City in the fall of 2025.

• Table of Contents
• About "Elephant Gallery"
• Gallery on the top floor of the building
• Exhibition " The Shadow Nearest to Being" (January 17th - February 23rd, 2026)
• About Kim Hyoyeon's works
• Future developments for the gallery
• Facility information

About "Elephant Gallery"

Elephant Gallery is a commercial contemporary art gallery that will open in Okayama City on October 4, 2025. It was established with the aim of supporting the activities of artists with ties to Okayama, such as those currently active in Okayama Okayama are now active both domestically and internationally, by providing a venue for them to exhibit their works.

We spoke with Yoshihiro Wada, manager of Elephant Gallery.

Author

Could you tell us what prompted you to start "Elephant Gallery" and what your thoughts were?

Wada-san

There was a time about 15 years ago when I thought about starting a gallery, but it didn't come to fruition. In 2025, when I was opening a photography studio and a risograph lab, the idea of ​​a gallery arose again, as a lab for creating things and a place to exhibit them. At first, it was just a casual idea, but I decided that the gallery's policy would be to plan and exhibit mainly artists with ties to Okayama. Then, with the help of a curator, I began to contact artists. To be honest, the more I interacted with artists, the more important the gallery became to me.

Elephant Gallery was born through such circumstances. Now is a rare opportunity to witness its launch. They plan to hold exhibitions by various artists throughout the year. In this article, we will also introduce the exhibitions currently being held.

Elephant Gallery| Official website

Gallery on the top floor of the building

Elephant Gallery is located on the 7th floor of a building near the Daionji Intersection in Okayama City .

There is no sign outside, but once inside, you will see that the floor numbering panel in the building says 7th floor, so don't worry. If you take the elevator to the 7th floor, the entire floor is the gallery floor.

Exhibition " The Shadow Nearest to Being" (January 17th - February 23rd, 2026)

At the time of the interview, Kim Hyo- Kim Hyoyeon was working on her "The Shadow Nearest to Being." Kim was born on Jeju Island in South Korea and moved to Nagoya when she was in the first year of junior high school. Her connection with Okayama began after graduating from an art college in Seoul and a master's degree at Hongik University. Her parents live in Okayama, and she became interested in Japanese painting materials, so she went on to study for a doctorate at Kurashiki.

Since graduating, he has continued to live in Okayama, actively participating in cultural activities both within and outside the prefecture while continuing his artistic activities. Since 2019, he has been a lecturer at the Faculty of Arts at Kurashiki of Science and the Arts, and in the same year was appointed program coordinator for Okayama Cultural Arts Associates, which supports the activities of cultural organizations in Okayama. In 2017, he received the Okayama Prefecture Emerging Artist Development I Award Encouragement Prize, deepening his ties with Okayama.

About Kim Hyoyeon's works

One of Kim's signature works, a series using silver leaf, was on display. Ink was poured onto three-dimensional Japanese paper, and the ink marks on the paper, which was then returned to a flat surface, were then traced with a pen onto a canvas covered with silver leaf. Sulfur fumes were used to stimulate a chemical reaction, causing the silver to turn gold. The ink marks, left to flow freely, create a mysterious pattern. In the work "Reflection and Absorption," the breaks between the gold and silver are easy to see.

We spoke to Kim, who told us that sometimes he decides on a title first and then intentionally paints the pattern, and sometimes he gives the title to the pattern that is finally created. These works depict the artist's intentional and involuntary actions, conscious and unconscious traces. We can get a glimpse of why Kim is called an "artist of traces."

My favorite piece is "Cat's Trajectory," which was given an added title. There really is a cat in it. You can see how it's being made on the monitor next to the reception counter.

Future developments for the gallery

We spoke again with manager Yoshihiro Wada about future developments.

Author

Please tell us about your future goals and prospects.

Wada-san

Although we have just started, we hope to create an inspiring space for artists, galleries, and collectors and other art lovers. Our gallery focuses on contemporary art, but by continuing to operate for as long as possible, we hope to help the movement for contemporary art to take root in Okayama .

Most of the works on display in the gallery are available for purchase. By purchasing a work you like, you are helping support the gallery and the artist. Prices are listed on the drawings and work list distributed at the venue.

Facility information

There were flyers for past exhibitions on display at the reception counter. As the gallery is just newly opened, there aren't many exhibits yet, but we expect the number of exhibits to grow. Elephant Gallery is a place where you can enjoy and purchase works by artists with ties to Okayama up close. We're looking forward to the upcoming exhibitions. Be sure to stop by!

[ Elephant Gallery ]

Address: Realize Daiunji Building 7F, 2-11 Minamichuocho, Kita-ku, Chuo Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture Kita Ward

Opening hours: Friday to Sunday 12:00 to 18:00

Store closed: Monday to Thursday *Open on public holidays

Parking: None (use nearby paid parking)

Elephant Gallery | Official Instagram

Take the tram to nearby art spots

There's a streetcar stop at the Daionji Intersection , where Elephant Gallery is located, making it easy to get to nearby art spots. This time, I took the streetcar from Daiunji-mae Station to Yanagawa Station (160 yen fare) and then walked to Okayama Prefectural Tenjinyama Cultural Plaza. The journey took about 15 minutes. On this day, the I Award Selection Works Exhibition, for which Kim Hyoyeon previously received an Encouragement Award (now closed), was being held. A diverse range of art, including paintings, photography, and porcelain, was on display, showcasing the energies of young artists. Having such a venue nearby allows us to easily appreciate art, and I feel grateful for the existence of art spots. The area where Tenjinyama Cultural Plaza is located is known as the Okayama Culture Zone , home to cultural facilities such as the Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art and the Okayama City Orient Museum.

Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art

8-48 Tenjin-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture 700-0814

In addition to collecting and displaying outstanding works of art related to the local area, we also hold exhibitions and workshops that introduce domestic and foreign artistic activities. [About the Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art building] This art museum is located on a corner of Mt. Tenjin where Okayama Castle once stood. While the Okayama Orient Museum, designed by the same designer, Mr. Okada, represents architecture through a collection of walls, the Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art represents architecture through a collection of blocks. The top lights visible from the stairs leading to the second floor exhibition hall illuminate the Art Forum (indoor plaza) with soft light similar to sunlight filtering through the trees. Architect/Year of completion: Shinichi Okada/1987 Regarding tours and photography: Photography is not allowed in the exhibition room.

Okayama Orient Museum

9-31 Tenjin-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture 700-0814

Housed in a building with an exterior reminiscent of an ancient Iraqi temple, it is a specialized museum that introduces Oriental culture that originated in Mesopotamian civilization and reached the Islamic era. It has a collection of approximately 5,000 excavated artifacts and works of art such as stone tools dating back 50,000 years. [About the building of Okayama Orient Museum of Art] The only public art museum in Japan that specializes in ancient oriental art. The three large atriums that appear inside the building, which look like stacked boxes, incorporate elements of Oriental architecture that architect Shinichi Okada experienced during his research trips throughout West Asia. Unusually for an art museum, natural light is incorporated in various ways, and the soft light falling from the top lights (lighting windows) creates a rich and atmospheric space. Regarding tours and photography: Photography is not allowed in the exhibition room.