"I want to be unhappy on my own, be happy on my own, and die on my own" 2/3

GALLERY ROOM・A, a commercial gallery operated by the art communication platform ArtSticker, will host a solo exhibition of new works by artist Nanari Sakamoto, entitled “And They Lived Happily Ever After”, from Saturday, 30 May 2026.

This exhibition marks Sakamoto’s final solo presentation in Japan before studying abroad, representing a significant turning point in the artist’s practice.

Sakamoto creates paintings that re-examine socially constructed images of “happiness” and “love,” drawing inspiration from iconic characters found in the fictional worlds of film and theatre. Colourful and theatrical canvases depict figures reminiscent of cinematic protagonists and stage-like environments, where reality and fantasy, longing and subtle dissonance intersect.

For the artist, painting functions not merely as the consumption of an idealised self-image, but as an act of affirmation—transforming imagination into material form as a way of navigating lived reality.

In this exhibition, taking the concept of the ‘happy ending’—symbolised by the film endings depicted in earlier works—as a starting point, the artist delves more deeply into an inner perspective.

While maintaining the theme of ‘the intersection of fiction and reality’—a central concern within the artist’s practice—the exhibition marks the first exploration of more personal yet universal questions surrounding love and marriage, presented by society as ‘packaged happiness’. The image of ‘happiness’, previously depicted as an external narrative or assigned role, is here transformed into a subject shaped by lived experience and internal conflict. The distance and dissonance that emerge between happiness as an ideal and the reality experienced by individuals are articulated through a more poignant perspective.

Visitors are invited to encounter an exhibition that employs cinematic imagery to reconsider contemporary understandings of love and the self.

Size: H 41㎝ × W 53.5㎝ × D 3㎝

Material: Acrylic and oil on canvas

Year: 2026

Edition: Unique

Framing: none

Certificate: ◯

Sign: ◯

Price: ¥99,000 (tax included)

Sales period: 2026/6/14 (Sun) until 23:00 [By Application]

【Application Period】

Saturday, May 30, 2026, 8:00 AM – Sunday, June 14, 2026, 11:00 PM (JST)

*Please note that the application window closes two weeks after the exhibition opens.

【How to Apply】

Please apply directly from each individual artwork page.

Go to the artwork list at the bottom of the page (which will become visible during the application period above) and click through to the page of the artwork you wish to purchase.

【Application Steps】

1. Access the page of the artwork you wish to purchase during the application period.

2. Click the [Purchase] button displayed on the artwork page.

3. Enter your name, email address, physical address, phone number, and other required information.

4. For the [Inquiry Type] field, select "Requesting Purchase Application".

5. Enter a message to the artist, and your Premium Code if you have one.

6. Click the [Inquire] button to complete your application.

☆Important Notes on Artwork Sales

To protect the artist's value through fair and healthy transactions, we kindly ask for your understanding and cooperation regarding the following terms. Please apply only if you understand and agree to all the notes below.

・Artworks are not sold on a first-come, first-served basis; all sales will be conducted via an application-based selection system. After the application period ends, the ArtSticker Administration Office will select the buyers, taking into consideration your application comments and your activity within ArtSticker (Stickers, comments, etc.).

・Please refrain from contacting the artist directly.

・You may apply for multiple artworks, but please note that cancellations are, in principle, not accepted.

・Buyers are requested to refrain from changing or transferring ownership of the artwork—including resale, transfer of title, or donation—for a period of three years, until May 28, 2029.

・Selected buyers will receive a "Letter of Agreement" from us. Purchase instructions will only be provided to those who have completed the agreement procedure.

【Regarding Selection Results】

・Regardless of the outcome, all applicants will be notified of their results via email by early July 2026.

・Selected buyers are required to reply to the email, complete the Letter of Agreement, and make payment within one week (5 business days) upon receiving the notification from the ArtSticker Administration Office.

【Purchase & Delivery】

・Once selected, cancellations of the artwork purchase will not be accepted. Furthermore, the right of purchase cannot be transferred to a third party or exchanged for cash.

・Shipping costs are the responsibility of the buyer. A separate shipping quote will be calculated and sent to you.

・We offer both domestic and international shipping.

・Artwork delivery is scheduled to begin approximately one month after the exhibition closes (after June 28, 2026).

Signed on the back of the work

This work will be on view at GALLERY ROOM A, a commercial gallery in Asakusa, as part of the solo exhibition “I Lived Happily Ever After,” held from May 30th (Sat) to June 28th (Sun), 2026.

Nanary Sakamoto's New Solo Exhibition “I Lived Happily Ever After”

Dates

(Thu) May 30th, 2026 - (Sun) June 28th, 2026

Hours
8:00 - 23:00

Closed

Open every day during the exhibition(Open on public holidays)

Admission
Free

Venue
GALLERY ROOM A

Address

2-16-5 Honjo, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 130-0004 KAIKA TOKYO by THE SHARE HOTELS 1F STORAGE 1

Access

8 minutes on foot from “Asakusa Station” on the Toei Asakusa Line

9 minutes on foot from “Honjo Azumabashi Station” on the Toei Asakusa Line

9 minutes on foot from “Kuramae Station” on the Toei Oedo Line

Website

https://www.thesharehotels.com/kaika/

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/galleryrooma_artsticker