Exhibition Archive
Exhibition information
The 195th Exhibition Ellie Omiya Exhibition
November 05, 2013 - December 20, 2013
Ellie Omiya is a movie director, scriptwriter, author, stage director, television commercial director/planner, television music program emcee, and radio personality. Her recent experiential solo exhibition―an installation of words and shapes that drew 12,000 people―remains fresh in memory and was followed by a succession of exhibitions of new work. Her activities are spread far and wide, and what she creates may not be conventional graphic design. So why exhibit her work at ddd?
What common thread unites Ellie Omiya's creations? We believe it is actually nothing less than design itself.
How to design space for the stage?
How to design stories and characters for film?
How to design programs in a new way within the framework of television?
How to design the encounter between visitors and art at a solo exhibition?
Design, in other words, is a form of communication, a form of thinking. In every field, Omiya redesigns conventional frameworks. In interviews she often talks about how she seeks to reshape and rebuild in order to make things happier, to cheer people up. Considering graphic design’s mission to communicate, at ddd we believe that Ellie Omiya's work is graphic design, indeed.
In the "Omoi wo tsutaeru to iu koto [To Convey One's Thinking] "and the subsequent "Ikiteiru to iu koto [To Be Alive]" exhibitions, both at Parco Museum, Omiya gave lively expression to the delicate thoughts and conflicts residing deep in each of our hearts, showing what they are really made of. At ddd, we will take a comprehensive look back on the work she has done so far. This will be Omiya's first retrospective, displaying a body of work that is massive in both volume and breadth. The exhibition will offer a rare and fascinating look at what goes on inside her head. The thinking behind each of the projects presented will be conveyed through accompanying text in Omiya's own words.
Refresh yourself at ddd―always cool even at the height of summer―by taking an enlightening peek into the seasoned and richly varied mind of Ellie Omiya.
Ellie Omiya
Born in Osaka in 1975, Omiya worked at an advertising agency before striking out on her own in 2006. She made her directorial debut with the movie 'Umi de no hanashi.' Books she has authored include "Ikiru konto" and "Ikiru konto 2" (Bunshun Bunko) and the picture book "Gumi to sachiko-san" (Kodansha / Illustrated by Ryoji Arai). She currently writes the 'Nan to ka ikitemasu' essay column for the "Sunday Mainichi" weekly magazine. For the theater, she has written and directed 'God Doctor' (New National Theater, Tokyo) and 'Singer 5' (Kinokuniya Hall). She has also been involved with a number of television dramas, including 'Kinoshita-bucho to boku,' 'Room of King,' and 'The Naminori Restaurant' (general director, scriptwriter); 'Deka Kurokawa Suzuki' and 'Mikeneko Holmes no suiri' (scriptwriter), 'Ojiisan-sensei' (general director); and 'Sarariman Neo' (scriptwriting team) as well as promotional videos for musical artists including Spitz, Ketsumeishi, Masayoshi Yamazaki, and Hanaregumi.
Omiya's first solo exhibition, an installation of words and shapes called 'Omoi wo tsutaeru to iu koto' held at the Parco Museum in Shibuya in February 2012, drew 12,000 people and later toured to the Parco in Sapporo, the Foil Gallery in Kyoto, and the Sendai Mediatheque. The related "Omoi wo tsutaeru to iu koto ten no subete" (Foil Shuppan), a book all about the exhibition, and "Omoi wo tsutaeru to iu koto" (Bungei Shunju), a book of poems and short stories, are now available. A second solo exhibition at the Parco Museum in Shibuya, 'Ikiteiru to iu koto,' was held in February 2013. 'A House of Love by Ellie Omiya,' a solo exhibition of paintings and forms―her first art exhibition without words―was held at the Eye of Gyre gallery in Omotesando from 18 January to 24 February.
As the emcee of 'Snack Ellie,' a live program streamed on Ustream (Mondays from 22:00 nearly every week), Omiya welcomes colorful guests and shares a toast with listeners around the country.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/snack-ellie
Omiya also appears as a radio personality on the 'Toyota Friday Drive with Ellie' talk show every Friday from 16:00 on J-Wave and the rest of the five-station JFL network.
http://www.j-wave.co.jp/original/fridaydrive/
Omiya is also the solo emcee of the TBS program 'Artist,' broadcast late night every Wednesday from 00:28.
