Arai Ryoji Original Art «Picture Book Before It Became a Picture Book» op.21

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  • Arai Ryoji Original Art «Picture Book Before It Became a Picture Book» op.21
  • Arai Ryoji Original Art «Picture Book Before It Became a Picture Book» op.21
  • Arai Ryoji Original Art «Picture Book Before It Became a Picture Book» op.21
  • Arai Ryoji Original Art «Picture Book Before It Became a Picture Book» op.21
  • Arai Ryoji Original Art «Picture Book Before It Became a Picture Book» op.21
  • Arai Ryoji Original Art «Picture Book Before It Became a Picture Book» op.21
  • Arai Ryoji Original Art «Picture Book Before It Became a Picture Book» op.21
  • Arai Ryoji Original Art «Picture Book Before It Became a Picture Book» op.21

Bibliographic Details

Title
Ryoji Arai Painting «Pictures before a picture book» op.21 / 荒井良二 原画 «絵本になる前の絵本» op.21
Artist
Ryoji Arai / 荒井良二
Year
2022
Size
H250 × W200mm (paper size)
Weight
15g (without frame)
Materials
Paper, Acrylic paint / 紙、アクリル絵の具
Edition
Unique

Signed by Ryoji Arai after purchase. / ご購入後に荒井良二さんの直筆サインが入ります。

op.21 Title:
"The night comes in through my window and the moon asks me to play the piano."

I wanted to draw each picture one by one and make a book with just those pictures. And I didn't want to just collect all the original drawings I'd done so far, without clearly defining the beginning and end like a picture book. I wanted to draw pictures that could be turned into a picture book later.
———From the interview at the end of "Picture Books Before They Became Picture Books" by Ryoji Arai

This is one of 23 original illustrations drawn by picture book author Ryoji Arai specifically for "The Picture Book Before It Became a Picture Book." The illustration has such depth that it gives the impression that a new story is about to be born.

The book has pages that focus on the details to convey the beauty of Arai's drawings, but of course there's nothing like seeing the originals up close. The originals have a unique beauty, like the twinkling of stars in the night sky, that can only be found in the real thing.

The titles of each work are like songs based on a diary. Arai also writes his own lyrics and composes music, and sometimes sings as a vocalist in a band, so this time he used the opus number "Op.", which is the first number on the sheet music.

In addition, you can purchase special frames selected by Arai for a limited time only during the Fragile Exhibition.A custom frame specially selected by Mr. AraiFrom among several candidates, Arai-san chose not a shiny, sparkling frame, but one that gives the feeling of the joy of spending a long time with it, as if it had been there for a long time.

This frame is an antique-style masterpiece with mud stains. The random base is stained with mud to create a texture. The mud finish is done by hand, so each one is unique and has a different look. The solid thickness and uneven finish enhance the flavor of the painting.

At FRAGILE BOOKS, we want you to enjoy art more freely and in a more diverse way. We want you to choose a frame for your favorite painting without compromising, just as you would choose the painting inside. We would like to suggest a "home" for your art, including frames for paintings and pedestals for sculptures.



<Details>
Delivery date: Shipped sequentially from December 1st onwards
・Product Contents: Original artwork + book mat (sandwich type)
Mat size: Inch size (inner dimensions H270* W220(Suitable for mm frames)

<About framing>
・How to purchase:Dedicated pageAvailable for purchase at
・Delivery date: Scheduled for mid-December
・Product details: After framing the original artwork, it will be delivered wrapped in a special yellow bag and paper box.
・Note: This is a custom order item exclusively for those who wish to purchase Ryoji Arai's original artwork.
Fixing method: Hanging cord attached to the back of the frame

List of 23 titles:

1. I tried to write a song from my diary. I felt like it was about someone other than me.

2. I write a letter to myself several decades from now. Do you have a cat? Do you eat ice cream? What kind of sky do you see from there? I write to my older self, asking her many questions. …Is the war over?

3. Thinking of someone I miss but have never met When did I start to have the sense of nostalgia?

4. On a sleepless night, I looked outside through the gap in the curtains and saw a gentle sound falling quietly like snow...

5. I want to set off fireworks with everyone. Was it me or you who said that?

6. Can someone turn the radio up a little louder? I want to dance.

7. Oh, big brother, you're singing a song I don't know.

8. The cat I had before I was born was named "Tiger-san."

9. Let's put up our newspaper on the town bulletin board, with all of us as editors-in-chief.

10. I've never been on a boat, but there are some places I'd like to go.

11. I don't like this at all, but it's nice to be someone and say words.

12. The future... was about us. I hope the story in this book continues forever.

13. Before the meteor shower, my sister and I dreamed of shooting stars.

14. The seasons come suddenly and open little boxes full of good and bad things.

15. Because of you I can sing, and because of me you make everyone happy.

16. Zigeunerweisen at 9pm Where on earth are you taking me?

17. Today is a celebration of sunsets. That's all.

18. Oh, I can play the violin a little bit.

19. I saw a movie about a boy riding a locomotive for the first time. That's when the little locomotive inside me started to move.

20. I've ridden horses a few times and I always ended up being someone from a long time ago.

21. The night comes in through my window and the moon asks me to play the piano for her.

22. I take the first bus into town in the morning, help carry the luggage, and then I watch the movie.

23. It was the first time I heard this song, but it felt familiar to me.



Photo by Masako Nagano


Ryoji Arai Ryoji Arai

Picture book author. Born in Yamagata Prefecture in 1956. After graduating from the Department of Fine Arts at Nihon University College of Art, he began writing picture books. He has won numerous picture book awards both in Japan and abroad, including the Special Prize at the Bologna Children's Book Fair in 1999 for "Nazonazo no Tabi" (Riddle Journey), and in 2005, he became the first Japanese person to win the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Literature Award. He is active in many areas, from curating at art museums to exhibitions, illustrating the opening of the NHK drama series "Jun to Ai" (Pure and Love), and serving as artistic director of the Yamagata Biennale Art Festival in the Middle of the Road. His main picture books include "Happy-san," "Sleeping Princess," "Today's Sky is Round," "Today's I Can Run Anywhere," and "Children Are Hooked." He is known as one of Japan's leading picture book authors, and his work has been attracting attention overseas as well.


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