With a background in the fashion business, Shunji and Asako Oketa started collecting antiques in the 2000s after they fell in love at first sight with a white Joseon-dynasty porcelain jar. It was then Yayoi Kusama’s art that opened the gate for them into the world of contemporary art. They collect Japanese top artists such as Yayoi Kusama, Takashi Murakami, Yoshitomo Nara, and Kohei Nawa, and younger artists, alongside worldwide established artists like Gerhard Richter, Wolfgang Tilmans, George Condo, and artists who blur the boundaries between art and fashion, such as Virgil Abloh and KAWS. In April 2019, the first public exhibition of the collection, Oketa Collection: Love@First Sight, was held in Tokyo, and seen by 12,000 people over 12 days; and they had the second public exhibition of their collection in Tokyo last year.
The Oketa couple shared with LARRY’S LIST their “love at first sight” being the thread that goes through their art collection, from Joseon white porcelain to Yayoi Kusama. They also talked about how they try to lead younger generations into art collecting; their most treasured work by Yayoi Kusama; three emerging Japanese artists we should not miss out; and things they look forward to in art in 2021. 

Collecting

What made you want to start collecting art? What is the main motivation behind your collecting?
In around 2000, when we walked by an antique store near our office, we fell in love at first sight on a white porcelain jar from Joseon dynasty and it is the firstpiece of our collection, and it is displayed inour apartment. Following this beautiful piece, we started to collect other Joseon porcelains and furniture, then expanded to Chinese and Japanese antiquities, Japanese ceramic artists’ works, bamboo baskets, bonsai, and so on.
After around 10 years since we started collectingantiquities, in 2010, we saw Yayoi Kusama’s documentary program on TV, and we were so impressed by her powerful artistic practices and her messages, and we just called a gallery which we saw on a credit. That was our first encounter with contemporary art.

How do you describe your first encounters with Yayoi Kusama’s works?
As described previously, we called a gallery,and they introduced us an“Infinity Nets”, and this is our first piece of contemporary art in the collection.

What is your focus regarding the artists in your collection? Are you more interested in emerging or renowned artists, Japanese or international artists?
George Condo, Jadé Fadojutimi, Matthew Day Jackson, Ayako Rokkaku,and many more. We are both interested in renowned and emerging artists in Japan and international ones.

What is the theme that unites all the works you have acquired?
“Love at first sight”. We also fell in love with at first sight on Joseon white porcelain and Kusama, and we collect highly inspired works, “love at first sight.”

What were the first and the latest artworks you purchased?
As mentioned, our first antique piece was a white porcelain jar from Joseon dynasty, and our first contemporary art was Yayoi Kusama’s “Infinity Nets”.
One of our latest collected artworks is by Sanya Kantarovsky,which is displayed in our apartment.

Where do you display your collection?
Our collection is exhibited in our Viewing Room in Tokyo and in our apartment. We are also annually hosting our own exhibition with selected works from our collection.

How were the experiences of presenting your art collection publicly a few times in Tokyo? Where next do you want to exhibit your collection?
We were so glad that we could share the enjoyment of collecting arts with such many people. We sometimes share it on our Instagram, but there is nothing better than meeting people and looking at arts “in person”. We met many younger people who visited our exhibition,and they told us that they really enjoyed it. By sharing these happy feelings, we hope this led younger generations into becoming collectors.
We are also planning to host our own exhibition in April this year, but we also want to show it in museums in Japan and internationally.

What do you consider when making a purchase?
We consider what this artist is thinking and how this artist will be in several years. We also think about the size of the work—larger works for our collection show, while we have to consider the wall sizes of our apartment and viewing room. We also think it is important to keep looking at exhibitions and new artists,and keep purchasing new works.

What kind of artwork that can make you write a cheque without any consideration?
We always fell in love at first sight, so it maybe all kinds of artwork.

What is your most treasured artwork?
It is impossible to select one single work. However, considering the historical context, Yayoi Kusama’s works in 1950s must be very important.

The Art World

How is your profession in the fashion business interact or influence your art collecting?
It may influence our intuition for colors and forms.

What was your happiest moment being involved in art?
Encountering so many talented and excited people. Encountering lovely artworks and when we could have a chance to acquire it. When we received many visitors to our collection show.

Who inspires you the most in the art world?
Yayoi Kusama, who gave us an encounter with contemporary art, many other artists,gallerists, and collector friends.

What do you like and dislike about the Japanese art scene today?
There are many great museums and galleries in Japan, and we do not have time to get bored with art programs. We always have new encounters with emerging artists and artworks, and we can often have a chance to visit artists’ studios—that is very exciting.
What we dislike about… if I must say, we regret that we have less opportunity to meet art friends as we do not have opening receptions due to COVID-19.
Due to COVID-19, we have less chance to visit overseas, but we have more chances to see many talented artists in Japan. We want to focus on supporting these emerging artists as well.

Can you name three emerging Japanese artists who should be on our radar?
Takuro Kuwata, Ataru Sato, and Hiroka Yamashita.

What are you especially excited about in regard to art in 2021?
We want to visit many museums, galleries,and art fairs again, so we really hope things get back to normal soon.
In Japan, emerging collectors are very passionate, and we feel the Japanese art scenes are very active. As we have so many great talents in Japan, we hope this will continue and many emerging collectors become established collectors.
Personally, we are also planning to have our collection exhibition in April, so we hope to receive as large an audience as possible visiting our exhibition. Also,we hope to show our collection in museums.

Related: Oketa Collection
Instagram: @oketacollection

A selection of artists the Oketas collect:
Ataru Sato
Kohei Nawa
Mungo Thomson
Takuro Kuwata
Yayoi Kusama

By Ricko Leung