By ERENA TANAKA/ Staff Writer
December 19, 2025 at 07:00 JST
Artist Enrico Isamu Oyama and his studio have launched "LGSA by EIOS," a gallery and archive dedicated to aerosol writing and other forms of street art in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward. (Erena Tanaka)
Long celebrated as creative expression but also dismissed by some as vandalism, street art culture is finally finding its way as a serious research subject.
In October, artist Enrico Isamu Oyama opened "LGSA by EIOS" in the capital’s bustling Shibuya district, a research archive that houses hundreds of books and videos on street art.
Oyama hopes to elevate the art form from a misunderstood subculture movement into a subject of serious study, accessible to everyone from art lovers and students to policymakers.
The archive houses around 500 items that Oyama has collected over the years. Its focus is on aerosol writing--commonly known as graffiti--as well as related forms of street art and adjacent cultural fields.
The 35-square-meter space is divided into an exhibition zone and a library area, where visitors can browse materials or request copies for a fee.
Oyama has devoted his career to creating works inspired by aerosol writing while also researching the history of street art.
“In sociology, it is often interpreted as the voice of the marginalized, but that alone misses the core of street art,” he said.
Although interest in the genre is expanding across fields from art history to urban planning, Oyama notes that systematic research and archives remain scarce in academic and other circles.
The materials on display include photo collections of aerosol writing on public walls and subway cars, as well as police records documenting criminal investigations.
While acknowledging the controversial side of street art, Oyama notes that works by artists such as Banksy show how context can elevate it into something highly valued and even welcomed by communities.
“The duality of being both art and unauthorized activity is fascinating,” Oyama said.
The archive is currently hosting its inaugural exhibition, "The New Beginning–Live Painting Scene in Shibuya in the 2000s," which runs until April 5, 2026.
The space is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. More details are available on the official website:https://lgsa.eios.co.jp/
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