#Tokyo #The Chain Museum #document / skin #Kenta Kawabata

Touch and the Body: Kenta Kawabata's 'document / skin'

In a time where our interactions are often mediated by screens, Kenta Kawabata's solo exhibition, document / skin, running from March 7 to April 7, 2026, at Gallery & Bakery Tokyo, invites us to revisit the significance of touch in an increasingly digital society. It is presented by The Chain Museum located in Kyobashi, a unique space that blends art with the culinary experience of a bakery and café.

Kawabata, born in Saitama in 1994 and a graduate of the Tokyo University of the Arts, delves into themes of perception and the physical senses in his artistic practice. Through his work, he reflects on how modern communication, especially with the rise of the internet, alters interpersonal dynamics. His continues to explore how walls of distance may form in our daily exchanges, which are increasingly conducted through digital means.

His artistic journey has seen him gaining recognition, including a selection for the Okamoto Taro Contemporary Art Award in 2023 and the Nomura Art Prize in 2026. The exhibition features a mix of new paintings alongside pieces created during his Master’s and Doctoral studies, demonstrating his evolution as an artist while highlighting his focus on the tactile experience of painting.

The Concept of 'document / skin'

The title of the exhibition, document / skin, encapsulates Kawabata's intention to conceive skin as a medium – not merely physical tissue but a repository of experiences and interactions. In light of the ongoing evolution towards digital and contactless relationships, his works question our fundamental assumptions about how we perceive and accept the world around us.

Kawabata pays particular attention to tactile sensations, emphasizing the importance of touch as a route to validating our existence amidst the growing abstraction of reality. He explains that