Drawing Room’s Family Studio: ‘Takesada Matsutani. Shifting Boundaries’

23 April

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Artist

Takesada Matsutani

London

In celebration of our exhibition ‘Takesada Matsutani. Shifting Boundaries,’ we collaborated with our Learning partner Drawing Room on a child-led takeover of their ‘Family Studio’ in London, UK.

Inspired by the work of Takesada Matsutani and the playful, experimental spirit of the Japanese Gutai artists, the session invited children, parents and carers to explore materials, follow their curiosity and shape the day through making, movement and imagination.

Together, participants experimented with process, play and word-based activities while discovering more about Matsutani’s practice through films and creative prompts. The event celebrated the Gutai movement’s belief in freedom, spontaneity and the creative potential of children.

An outcome of the event was a digital magazine, ‘Little Giraffe,’ which brings together drawings, ideas and experiments created during the session. Designed by artist Amanda Wayne, it offers a playful entry point into Matsutani’s influences, materials and ways of working.

With thanks to Drawing Room, Amanda Wayne, and to all the children, parents and carers who took part.

Image for left hero section — Family Studio: ‘Takesada Matsutani. Shifting Boundaries,’ Drawing Room, London, 2026. Courtesy Drawing Room. Photo: Amanda Wayne

Image for right hero section — Family Studio: ‘Takesada Matsutani. Shifting Boundaries,’ Drawing Room, London, 2026. Courtesy Drawing Room. Photo: Amanda Wayne

‘Little Giraffe’ Magazine

About Drawing Room
From September 2025 – September 2028, the gallery is partnering with Drawing Room, a not-for-profit arts organization based in London, UK. We are supporting ‘ROCK PAPER SCISSORS’, a stimulating weekly space for local young people aged 7 – 11 years to draw, make and experiment alongside practising artists, in connection with our London gallery.

Founded in 2002 by curators Mary Doyle, Kate Macfarlane and Katharine Stout, Drawing Room champions the unlimited potential of drawing to help us understand ourselves, each other and our world, through exhibitions, learning projects and a research library. Drawing Room presents free exhibitions of drawings by emerging and established international artists. They have a unique open access research library, holding one of the largest collections of titles on contemporary drawing in the world, as well as a shop stocking selected books, drawing materials and artists’ editions. Their dynamic learning program aims to make contemporary drawing relevant and accessible to all communities, encouraging self-expression through hands-on making in their dedicated Community Studio, alongside events, artist-led projects and special commissions.

Our Learning partnerships are focused on increasing access, support and expertise for professional development within the arts, as well as engaging broader communities with art and artists. These initiatives allow us to work in tandem with our partner organizations over a sustained period, adapting and developing these programs together in order to create long-term meaningful change and a positive impact.

Since 2014, the gallery has been committed to inclusive Learning programs that instigate a dialogue between art, artists and diverse audiences with a focus on first-hand experience. Our ongoing global projects are centered on three core pillars: to engage with communities; enrich academic programs; and foster better access to art careers through a series of meaningful partnerships.