[Until Tue, Nov. 10] Sparkling★Biennale 2026 ～ An exhibition of works by 31 students of a Kurashiki bird’s-eye-view map artist. While strolling through the Bikan Historical Area, stop by Kurashiki City Kurashiki Monogatari-kan.

Have you ever seen a “Kurashiki Bird’s-Eye View Map,” depicting the townscape from a bird’s-eye perspective, in the Bikan Historical Area or at JR Kurashiki Station?

The artist behind it is Okamoto Naoki, an oil painter and bird’s-eye-view map artist from Kurashiki City. Alongside his own work, Okamoto also teaches at the Naoki-kai painting class.

An exhibition of works by members of Naoki-kai, “Kira Kira★Biennale 2026,” is being held at the multipurpose hall of Kurashiki City Kurashiki Monogatari-kan in the Bikan Historical Area through Tuesday, November 10.

This article introduces the exhibition, along with comments from Naoki-kai members we spoke with at the venue.

What Is “Kira Kira★Biennale”?

Kira Kira★Biennale is an exhibition organized by the Naoki-kai painting class.

A “biennale” is an art exhibition held once every two years. Kira Kira★Biennale is also held every two years, and 2026 marks its eighth edition.

The exhibition runs from Friday, November 6, to Tuesday, November 10, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (until 3 p.m. on the final day, November 10).

The venue is the multipurpose hall at Kurashiki City Kurashiki Monogatari-kan in the Bikan Historical Area.

31 Works on Display

This year, 31 works are on display: works by 30 members, plus one special contribution.

The works cover a variety of themes and media, including plants, food, animals, people, and Kurashiki’s townscape.

A Greeting from Representative Okamoto Naoki

The postcard includes the following greeting from Okamoto:

I’m looking forward most of all to seeing what kinds of paintings I can share with everyone this year.
In today’s world, where AI is celebrated, what does the analog act of painting with one’s own hands mean?
This may be a good opportunity for both viewers and artists to pause and reflect on that question.
In any case, please enjoy these works, each shining with its own individuality.

Naoki-kai Painting Class Representative: Okamoto Naoki

Interview with Members of the Naoki-kai Painting Class

At the venue, we spoke with Naoki-kai members Noto Mutsuo and Katayama Tetsuo, who have contributed works to the exhibition.

What kind of activities does Naoki-kai hold?

Katayama (surname only)

Classes meet once a month for just half a day.
They usually run for four hours, from around 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. There are four classes in total: two in Kurashiki and two in Tamashima. Each class has about 10 people.

Those who are especially dedicated take their work home and paint there, too. They work on other pieces or do various things during the month, then bring their work back to class for the teacher to make corrections.

Normally, we don’t often meet people from the other classes. One of the pleasures of this exhibition, held every two years, is getting together and exchanging with everyone from the classes.
It’s not a class reunion, but some of us were classmates, and there are people we only get to see at this event. That’s one reason I’ve kept at it for more than a decade.

Noto (surname only)

By the way, we don’t paint specifically for this exhibition. The goal is to enjoy the time and chat.

We simply choose which works to submit from among those we’ve painted over the past two years, and we do it for fun. Some people exhibited last time but are taking a break this time.

How long does it take to create a work?

Katayama

My work depicts sunflowers that bloomed last summer (2025). I kept painting and revising it, and finished it this spring.

Since classes are only one day a month, and only half a day at that, progress is slow.

Noto

I think my work took about six months to complete. I choose a photo that feels like a scene from a memory and paint from that.

Once you start applying paint, it’s hard to paint smoothly. Those who paint on colored paper tend to work quite quickly. The sizes vary, too, so those who painted larger works may have taken even longer.

Finally, do you have a message for our readers?

Katayama

I think people who live in Okayama Prefecture visit the Bikan Historical Area less often than you might expect.
So I hope this exhibition will be an opportunity to discover what makes the area special and take a stroll while you’re there. When we come out, we also walk around here and grab a meal before heading home.

When we do that, quite a few people say, “Then let’s go.” I think our teacher also has that in mind when choosing the Bikan Historical Area and looking for a venue.

Please feel free to stop by.

From the Writer

Kira Kira★Biennale 2026 is an exhibition featuring works created by Naoki-kai members over the past two years.

The exhibition runs through Tuesday, November 10. Why not stop by Kurashiki City Kurashiki Monogatari-kan while strolling through the Bikan Historical Area?

Articles About Okamoto Naoki

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