Yu Uchida Solo Exhibition “POP-UP COUNTER” | June 5-13, 2026 at Gallery Seek

Yu Uchida — Artist page
Biography, available works and enquiries

Gallery Seek is pleased to present “POP-UP COUNTER,” a solo exhibition by contemporary artist Yu Uchida, opening June 5, 2026. The exhibition features Uchida’s signature conceptual sculptures using cast glass, alongside a special two-day art-meets-beverage experience (June 5 & 6) sponsored by HARUNA, featuring the “Le café Sparkling” tea collection.

Exhibition Details

• Title: Yu Uchida Solo Exhibition “POP-UP COUNTER”
• Dates: June 5 (Fri) – June 13 (Sat), 2026
• Venue: Gallery Seek (Caretta Shiodome B1F, 1-8-2 Higashi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo)
• Special Pairing Event: June 5 & 6 — Le café Sparkling tasting & Japanese/Western pairing experience
• Artist in Attendance: June 5 / 6 / 12 / 13
• Sponsor: HARUNA

Exhibition Concept: Layered Meanings in “POP-UP COUNTER”

The subtitle “POP-UP COUNTER” carries Yu Uchida’s signature wordplay and sharp social critique. “POP-UP” expresses the excitement of a limited-time shop while also evoking the lively pop of sparkling carbonation. “COUNTER” refers not only to the literal bar counter where works and drinks will be served, but also to a “counter-argument” against mass consumption and environmental issues.

Within a vibrant collaborative space of original merchandise and sparkling beverages, Uchida adds his characteristic ironic twist — a knowingly intellectual exhibition design only he could create.

Special Event: “Le café Sparkling” Pairing Experience in an Art Space

During the opening weekend (June 5 & 6), with sponsorship from HARUNA, visitors can sample “Le café Sparkling” served in original glasses designed by Uchida himself. Embodying the beverage concept of “pairing with both Japanese and Western cuisine,” the gallery’s “counter” will offer the following menu:

• Green Tea Sparkling × Japanese rice crackers (a fresh encounter between Japanese tradition and innovation)
• Black Tea Sparkling × cookies, Western confections, cheese (a glamorous marriage that elevates Western flavors)

Yu Uchida’s Vision: Contradictions of “Environment and Consumption,” Embodied in a Pop Icon

Born in Tokyo in 1979. After completing the MFA program in Glass Studio at the Department of Crafts, Tokyo University of the Arts, his time studying abroad in the UK became the catalyst for deepening his conceptual approach.

His signature “cool it” series transforms polar bears — a global icon of environmental conservation, increasingly losing their habitat to climate change — into the form of a melting popsicle, rendered in cast glass. By deliberately packaging the work in the aesthetic of Japanese pop culture’s “kawaii” product design, the series ironically highlights the karma of humans who refuse to give up their abundant lifestyles despite knowing the gravity of environmental issues, and the contradictions hidden within mass consumer society.

Though seemingly humorous and pop in form, the work conceals a sharp critical edge — a “cool it” counter-message directed at society — that has earned high acclaim at art fairs both in Japan and abroad.

Come experience the world of Yu Uchida and the sparkling charm of Le café Sparkling at “POP-UP COUNTER,” where icons of consumer culture cross paths with contemporary art.

▶ Exhibition details & inquiries: https://galleryseek.jp/exhibitions/1630/