Seeing in 4D: YONEYAMA MAI EXHIBITION “arc”

Yoneyama Mai’s solo exhibition is being held for the first time in nearly two years.

After a long and successful career in the animation industry, Yoneyama began her path as a full-fledged illustrator around 2018.Starting with her first solo exhibition “SHE” in 2019, followed by “EGO” (2021) and “EYE” (2023), she has, whether intentional or not, held a solo exhibition every two years. Now, in 2025, we have the “YONEYAMA MAI EXHIBITION “arc.”

Her exhibition locations have shifted through Aoyama, Harajuku, Shibuya, and now Ginza. One might wonder why Yoneyama, who comes from an animation background and deeply values her roots, has yet to choose Akihabara as a venue.To me, this choice mirrors one of her defining characteristics: the way her career as an artist crosses borders—moving between animation, illustration, and art.

In Japan today, no one refers to anime as “Otaku culture” anymore. On the contrary, anime has become so “commonplace” in our daily lives that it risks being easily consumed and discarded in this age of information overload. In reality, we ordinary viewers have no idea how an animation is actually made, how many people are involved, or just how many drawings are created.
The current trend where people are beginning to whisper about the true value of “Genga” (original drawings) in anime and manga—a growing momentum to re-evaluate the “shadows” behind the scene that remain invisible on the broadcast screen—is challenging the status quo.

And Yoneyama is at the forefront of that movement.

In this exhibition, which she says is themed around “Time” and “Continuity,” she is displaying and selling her own independently produced videos as artworks—a first for her shows. Most characteristic of all is the spatial design of the venue, which consists of three layers: the outer walls, the inner walls, and the center. The outer walls feature cuts for every single frame of animation; the inner walls are adorned with illustrations of various sizes; and in the center sits a 3-meter-tall sculpture. On the giant screen behind it, animation is projected.

Experiencing the exhibition in this flow might be akin to tracing and reliving the way Yoneyama herself views and thinks about a single work of animation. This seamless, flowing progression—connecting animation, illustration, and art through these three layers—is the true essence of Yoneyama Mai, whose individual drawings always evoke a sense of fluid storytelling.

The recent re-evaluation of original drawings and the recognition of the value of “Cels” lead us to look at the specialized roles within the industry. This, in turn, may provide an opportunity to shine a light on the long-standing issues of labor conditions and wages for animators.

By bringing animation into the high-end district of Ginza, “arc” carries a very significant weight in that regard as well.