The Irresistible Charm of Kasashima Gallery’s Chinese Ink Painting Suitcase Covers

(2024年7月8日 / FELICII) Recently, I came across a series of captivating suitcase covers adorned with Chinese ink paintings. Unfortunately, I couldn’t purchase them because they are limited-edition souvenirs from Japan’s Kasashima Gallery, given exclusively to Taiwanese artists participating in exhibitions. The fusion of Chinese ink painting, a Japanese gallery, and Taiwanese artists is filled with irresistible Asian art elements. Although I can’t get my hands on one of these charming suitcase covers, I want to discuss how artists shine at international art exhibitions.

Why did I discover these suitcase covers printed with Chinese ink paintings? I had the privilege of viewing a collection of Chinese ink paintings by Taiwanese artists at the Vueling Onboart Exhibition recently. Held in Spain, the exhibition gathered top artists from around the world, and the works of the Taiwanese artists were particularly stunning. I’m not sure why I was so drawn to these pieces—perhaps because I rarely encounter classical Chinese art or perhaps due to the mysterious allure of these works.

These artists’ works range from traditional Chinese ink paintings to contemporary art creations. Some traditional ink paintings are lifelike, while others are more abstract, mainly showcasing beautiful landscapes and majestic terrains. Additionally, there are innovative Chinese ink artworks, such as paintings incorporating oracle bone script images and symbols. In terms of contemporary art, there are pastel and acrylic paintings, all vibrant and full of color, blending Eastern and Western artistic elements in a highly innovative way.

The institution that invited these Taiwanese artists to the exhibition is Kasashima Gallery from Kansai, Japan. This gallery scouts talented artists for international exhibitions and has been featured in art media numerous times. Although I’m not well-versed in art galleries, I can say that the souvenirs produced by Kasashima Gallery are incredibly beautiful. They turned the Chinese ink paintings by Taiwanese artists into fashionable suitcase covers! If these suitcase covers were sold as merchandise, I believe they would be a hot seller in Europe and America because they are like portable works of art.

It’s fascinating how classical Chinese ink paintings can be so adorable. How do classic and cute even go together? Imagine strolling through France, Spain, or Italy with a suitcase covered in Chinese ink paintings—you’d be at the forefront of fashion. The Taiwanese artists featured at the exhibition include Tsai Yu Yun, Chien Hsuan Ming, Cheng Tzu Leong, Yang Ching Chiang, Wang Men Chieh, Ho Ming Chu, Wu Hsiu Yin, Lu Lan Hsin, Wu Li Ying, and Chang Yu Hsuan. If their paintings look this good on merchandise, the original artworks must be highly sought after by collectors.

I also visited the official website of Kasashima Gallery. I found that they’ve been promoting the Vueling Onboart Exhibition since April, heavily publicizing the participating Taiwanese artists through various posts, videos, and live streams on social media. Their Facebook page has 60,000 fans, YouTube nearly 20,000 subscribers, and Instagram about 70,000 followers. Each time they post about a new exhibition or artist update, tens of thousands of art enthusiasts pay attention.

Kasashima excel in PR activities for these exhibitions, promoting artists’ works, creative concepts, and conducting personal interviews. They even showcase videos on large electronic billboards in Times Square, New York. The gallery’s media relations and promotional techniques are more impressive than I imagined. Particularly in online communities, they present highly professional graphics and videos, crafted with meticulous layout and advanced editing techniques, showcasing captivating multimedia creativity. This gallery shows me the progress of Asian art! But that’s not my point; I just want to say, they make me really want to own one of those suitcase covers that blend art and fashion!