Association for Corporate Support of the Arts. - Kigyo Mécénat Kyogikai

Shiseido Gallery, which was opened in 1919 (Taisho 8) by its founding president Shinzo Fukuhara, is the oldest existing gallery in Japan.
Since its opening, the gallery has continued to rent out space to many artists and host exhibitions curated by in-house staff. “Tsubaki-kai,” which started in 1947 and continues to this day, is a series of group shows held with fixed members for a given period of time. The first “Tsubaki-kai,” in which Ryuzaburo Umehara and others took part has continued on to the current sixth “Tsubaki-kai,” which includes mid-career artists who were selected this year. Over half of the artists who have participated in the “Modern Art and Craft Exhibition” (held until 1995) have been designated Living National Treasures. Shiseido continues to support the creative activities of artists who have held exhibitions at the gallery by buying their newly created works. In 1978, the Shiseido Art House was established in Kakegawa city, Shizuoka prefecture, for the purpose of showing these works as part of the permanent collection.
From 1990 onwards, Shiseido Gallery has been focusing on global and contemporary artistic trends and hosts temporary exhibitions that introduce artists from Europe, USA and Asia. The gallery moved to the basement floor of the newly built building in 2001, which has a ceiling height of 5 meters that is utilized to show a variety of contemporary art exhibitions. Furthermore, the artists who are featured in temporary exhibitions at the Shiseido Gallery receive continual support thereafter. In 2006, the gallery decided to return to its starting point, that of serving as a gateway to success for up-and-coming artists and started “shiseido art egg,” an exhibition that recruits public participation.
Shiseido Gallery is commended for its history of 88 years of supporting many artists through exhibitions that are open to the public and for continuing to explore new values in artistic expressions.