In a serene area of Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, approximately an hour southwest of Tokyo, painter Ulala Imai resides in a newly constructed, spacious home that is both elegant and minimalist, filled with soft white light. She lives there with her husband and children, while across the street stands her childhood home, a three-story house that her father, Shingo Imai, a Western-style painter, redesigned after purchasing it from the U.S. military. Nearby is another house where she and her family lived until recently, which served as both her home and studio for nine years, where much of her recent artwork was created alongside her children.
Adjacent to her current residence is a small weathered house that holds significance in her life; it was rented by her father in his youth and is now her studio. This space is filled with canvases in various stages of completion and everyday items that frequently appear in her artwork. As one of Japan’s most celebrated figurative painters, Imai’s international presence is expanding, with recent exhibitions at Karma in New York and Art Basel Hong Kong, along with works included in major collections such as SFMOMA and the Dallas Museum of Art. Despite her growing recognition, her artistic foundation remains deeply rooted in her home life. The forthcoming exhibition “ CLOSE ” at Xavier Hufkens in Brussels, running from May 15th to July 12th, continues this theme, incorporating elements of Shinto spirituality, childhood mementos, family, and care.
Imai’s journey has been gradual. A Tama Art University graduate, she exhibited in Japan for years before gaining international attention, which began at Paris Internationale in 2017 with small paintings of buttered toast and fruit. Her 2021 solo exhibition, “AMAZING,” at Nonaka-Hill in Los Angeles coincided with the pandemic, a time she describes as creatively transformative. Confined to her home studio, she utilized her surroundings to create art, a period that significantly influenced her style and encouraged her to seek opportunities abroad.
In her studio, a life-sized toy dog with one ear symbolizes her hearing impairment and is featured in one of her new paintings. A painting by her father hangs on the wall, emphasizing her lineage as a third-generation artist in a visually rich household. She is married to contemporary painter Yu Nishimura, who recently joined David Zwirner. For this artistic couple, art represents both heritage and ongoing practice.
In this geographically compact yet emotionally expansive environment, Imai has developed a uniquely intimate artistic practice. “Most of the motifs in my paintings come from my daily life within a small, one-and-a-half-kilometer radius. These are familiar scenes and objects,” she stated. This idea resonates with her exhibition title “CLOSE,” which evokes warmth and intimacy rather than finality.
- Build up, 2025
- Ulala Imai
- Xavier Hufkens
Her paintings elevate toys, food, household items, and daily rituals to central roles, creating a visual experience that balances reality and the uncanny. Imai’s work invites a sense of tranquility, shaped by her unique perception of the world. “I was born with hearing loss,” she explained. “Because of that, I have no real sense of what sound is like for those with full hearing. Hearing aids are essential for me, but the digitally converted world they offer often feels fake. I’ve found it hard to trust—so I’ve come to rely even more on the visual world.”
This reliance on visual perception is both practical and poetic. Her paintings often capture the stillness of a room just after someone has departed, arranged meticulously from real-life scenes before being painted onto canvas. The results are luminous yet elusive, depicting domestic moments with a mythic psychological depth. “I want to paint something like a flickering candle,” she remarked, “which has no sound, but still moves and comforts the heart.”
The duality of stillness and emotional depth pervades “CLOSE.” One piece, LOVERS (2025), features Charlie Brown and Lucy figurines from the “ Peanuts ” comic perched in a tree outside her window. Imai pointed out the actual toys resting on a shelf in her living room, explaining, “The figures are stretched so large that they feel very close to the viewer. But there is a clear boundary. They are in a world of their own, wrapped in the shade of the tree.” Their soft gazes and shared direction create a sense of connection.
“We live in an era filled with contradictions and overwhelming information, where uncertainty is constant,” she expressed. “In such times, I want to continue painting in a way that communicates my feelings as honestly and clearly as possible—to express something simple and heartfelt, something that resonates directly with the viewer.”
Motherhood has also influenced her artistic process. “After my first child was born, I was trying to figure out how to keep creating while caring for a baby,” she reflected. “During naps, I would gather whatever objects I had around me—baby dolls, scallions from the fridge, a glass of grape juice—and start setting up still lifes on the dining table. Sometimes I’d even stick an Ultraman figure into a potato,” referring to the Japanese character. Her husband would join her in these creative moments, adjusting the composition until it felt right, laying the groundwork for her current practice.
- CONEY ISLAND, 2025
- Ulala Imai
- Xavier Hufkens
What may appear as simple domestic scenes—like teddy bears or cherries in a bowl—carry deeper psychological meanings in Imai’s work. These objects are not merely symbolic or literal; they resonate with care, memory, minor griefs, and small joys.
Another new painting, CONEY ISLAND (2025), was inspired by a trip to New York, depicting two teddy bears in bathrobes on a quiet winter beach, with a closed amusement park in the background. This image conveys a melancholic stillness, suggesting a narrative suspended in time. Amusement parks thrive on play, and their emptiness here hints at unease, a tension between tranquility and disquiet. The bears seem to engage in silent dialogue or contemplation.
This ambiguity contributes to the lasting impact of Imai’s work: specific yet not prescriptive, rich in emotion without being overly sentimental. “Living with my family, each of whom has different personalities and preferences, naturally brings about lifestyle changes as my children grow,” she noted. “These shifts become a steady source of creative nourishment.”
- Cherries, 2025
- Ulala Imai
- Xavier Hufkens
Imai’s previous show at Xavier Hufkens was titled “LOST,” depicting a charred landscape recovering after a wildfire. To her, “LOST” represented renewal rather than endings. Given her experiences with hearing impairment, she chose the title “CLOSE” to express her desire to connect with others. “Painting is how I stay connected to the world.”
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