Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on April 2011

"Accessories" by Sai Hashizume. Courtesy of Imura Art Gallery; Photo: Ken Kato

Following time spent on an arts fellowship in Germany, young Tokyo painter Sai Hashizume returns for her first solo show in Tokyo in six years. “After Image” is a series of enigmatic oil paintings that resemble carefully posed photographs. The series follows a previous one that featured her work, “Red Shoes Diary,” named after the children’s story The Red Shoes by Hans Christian Anderson. Hashizume suggests that elements of her life in Germany at the time resembled that of Karen, a character in the tale.

Imura Art Gallery. Until Apr 23, free. Minato-Daisan Bldg 4F, 3-7 Nishi-gokencho, Shinjuku-ku. Tel: 03-6457-5258. Open daily 12pm-7pm. Nearest stn: Kagurazaka. www.imuraart.com