Souun Takeda’s “FLYING” exhibition debuted on Wednesday, November 10, 2021, traveling to the three Japanese venues of Daimaru Sapporo, Artglorieux GALLERY OF TOKYO (GINZA SIX) and Daimaru Umeda. It was a great success, showcasing Takeda’s art for countless viewers to enjoy before wrapping up. Now, to commemorate the start of ARToVILLA, an art-focused project operated by Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores Co., Ltd., FLYING will be relaunched in a new and improved format that takes full advantage of digital technologies. This latest incarnation of FLYING will even include a virtual reality experience based on the themes in Takeda’s works. Furthermore, all pieces on exhibit will be sold via a lottery system, providing an opportunity for people who live far away and are thus unable to visit in person to purchase the art. We hope you will consider purchasing a Souun Takeda piece for yourself! All of us have spent the last two years under restrictions—on whom we can talk with and meet in person, and on the places we can go. In a sense, we have been unable to spread our wings and fly. Although this gloomy period of isolation seems as if it will never end, Takeda’s exhibition gives us a chance to experience feelings of liberation and fly free. In order to take flight in today’s world, we must have empathy and gratitude; Takeda’s art harnesses the power of words to express both of these through art. The ways in which he uses words as a form of free expression, conveyed in a manner that transcends traditional calligraphy, encourages viewers to adopt new ways of seeing the world and living. At this latest exhibition, you can enjoy works of art featuring washi Japanese paper, Echizen-washi paper, indigo dyeing, calligraphy, and seiboku ink.