FOIL GALLERY is pleased to present works by renowned picture book author, Ryoji Arai. The works, including many from new body of works, will be on view at the gallery from 23 April - 22 May, 2010.

Since his debut in 1990, Ryoji Arai has energetically worked on numerous number of children's picture books as well as cover designs of many books, CDs and advertisements. Through his over 20 years career, he was awarded various, both domestic and international awards, among others, The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the greatest international award for Juvenile Literature, in 2005. He was also awarded Excellent Award at The 10th Japan Media Arts Festival for his first animation works "A Country Between the World'" in 2006, currently he has extended his arena to wider fields of media.

In this exhibition, Arai explores new possibility of his works as contemporary art. As it's embodied in the title wording of "meta", a combining form meaning "higher" or "beyond", his motivation to expose "the other side" of the artist beyond the categories of illustration or picture book, to which he is often regarded to belong, is strongly represented in his newly produced enthusiastic works.

Taking inspiration from the idea of "synesthesia", a condition at which people mix a stimulation of one sensory or cognition with a second sensory or cognition automatically, this exhibition "meta meta" stimulates the viewers sensory from multiple approach to let us encounter the never-experienced new sensory. From joyful paintings on canvas painted like playing music, calmly but emotionally drawn drawings to attraction-like installations, FOIL GALLERY will turn into a hopeful, surprising space where you can bodily experience the world of Ryoji Arai to the full.