About

Inspired by the notion that new art generates from years of refinement, √K Contemporary (Root K Contemporary) was established with the aim to create a place where one can experience art at its fullest.

For the past decade, the advancement of the Japanese art market has been the core ambition of √K Contemporary founders and Japanese art experts, Shigeyoshi and Ichiko Kashima. As respected Japanese calligraphy and antique painting specialists, they have contributed to various projects and exhibitions, with renowned institutions like the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, and the Shinshoji Zen Museum. Since 2014, they have curated numerous exhibitions by various modern and contemporary Japanese and international artists such as Hidai Nankoku, Hamada Kiyoshi, Cornelia Thomsen and more. While addressing the gaps in the Japanese art market, they sought to promote the exposure and education of Japanese art.

With the ever-increasing abundance of 'white cube’ galleries, the founders felt the need to create a gallery, which went beyond the simple display of works. With the goal to establish a new culture, √K Contemporary was born out of a vision to create a versatile, ambitious art space where viewers may experience art at its whole.

A 300 square meter, 4-story space located in the heart of Tokyo, √K Contemporary is one of the largest galleries in Tokyo. Designed by the founders, the wholly refurbished space carries a unique sense of timelessness, which escapes socially established notions of space. Through  this socio-temporarily liberated aesthetic, √K Contemporary seeks to present works in a spacious setting. A next-generation gallery, dedicated to the shared experience of art, √K Contemporary hosts a range of events, as well as exhibitions by post-war to present-day artists from Japan and abroad.