These artists don’t create for anyone in particular, but for the pure reason of their own living. Decades before the term “outsider art” began being used in Japan, institutions in Tokyo such as Yawata Gakuen juvenile asylum, and certain mental institutions like Tokyo Adachi Hospital and Hirakawa Hospital were implementing creative activities. The artists’ works evolve in response to compassion and affection from the surrounding environment. We hope you’ll let your heart out to the artists, both living and deceased, featured in The Joys of Expression, and engage in a dialogue that traverses space and time.