EXPO Chicago 2026
Charlie James Gallery is pleased to share a solo presentation of new paintings by Bay Area artist Maya Fuji for Expo Chicago 2026. Entitled Slice of Life, this presentation is named after a genre of manga that became popular in the mid-2000s and is characterized by its calm depiction of the daily lives of young female characters. Fuji’s interpretation unfolds over eight paintings, taking the viewer sequentially through a day in the life of two young women — stand-ins for the artist during her youth in Kanazawa and a young cousin or friend. In focusing on the small acts of daily life, Fuji suffuses these canvases with a sense of deep rootedness and connection, to culture, to ancestors, and to each other.
“Slice of Life” manga often focuses on the personalities of its characters through a relaxed, slow-paced depiction of life that fosters empathy and care. Fuji conveys this sense of ease through the casual closeness of her characters, both between the two figures and between each figure and her surroundings. The tenderness and care apparent in these works serve as an antidote to the onslaught of harrowing news and political turmoil that defines our current moment, offering instead a sense of tranquility and uplift.
The quotidian scenes of Slice of Life are infused with the ever-near presence of ancestors and spirits. Whimsical Tsukumogami scurry through the paintings, small manifestations of the spirits gained by objects through the centuries. In 1PM: Clean·龍神と晴れ女, an ethereal dragon coalesces out of cloud, a watchful manifestation of Hirota Hyakuhō’s painting of the dragon Ryū No Zu that graced the Kanazawa Shrine throughout the artist’s childhood. Born during the year of the dragon, Fuji visited the painting often and felt protected by its presence. In 1PM: Clean·龍神と晴れ女, the dragon appears in his guise as the god of rain, clearing the skies to allow for the simple pleasures of airing out the bedding from 10AM: Alarm Goes Off·二度寝.
This new body of work leans into Fuji’s interest in manga illustration. Capturing a time before the internet permeated daily life, her figures feel joyfully present in their bodies. These figures are heavily influenced by both manga and Ukiyo-e, physiques plush and soft like the “beautiful women” of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi’s 19th-century Bijin-ga paintings or depictions of the Buddha, with large, sparkling eyes and flowing hair that call to mind manga artists such as Takahashi Rumiko and Ikeda Riyoko. This fusion of art historical and contemporary sensibilities forms a key aspect of Fuji’s project, merging past and present approaches to figuration and narrative painting in works embedded with personal stories and familial memories.
These seven paintings follow their two subjects through daily activities that also traverse the ancient and the modern. They joyfully ride bikes through fields of rice paddies, their basket brimming with Obon season offerings for the ancestors. Obon, a tradition combining the ancient Japanese belief in ancestral spirits with the Buddhist custom of honoring ancestors, is a time when families gather to clean their family burial places and make offerings there. The figures in Fuji’s painting carry fruit, snacks, and flowers in the basket of their bike, suggesting that they are making Obon season offerings.
Elsewhere, these figures celebrate their small prizes found in Chocoball boxes, as in 4PM: A Manifested Fortune·小さな幸福, or pour over their futures told by a small fortune telling Omikuji keychain in 2PM: A Good Omen ·幸運の予感 — both popular during the 1990s post bubble era. The keychain plays off the paper fortunes that can be purchased at shrines across Japan. Even here, the past and present collide in these fantastical, technicolor scenes. From half-sleeping first stretch to triumphant fortune told, Fuji’s figures combine traditional storytelling with modern manga sensibilities.
VENUE
Navy Pier
600 E Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
THE FAIR
VIP Preview
Thursday, April 9, 2026
By Invitation Only. Check your VIP pass for entry time. Fair closes at 8:00pm
General Admission
Thursday, April 9, 2026 | 5:00–8:00pm* Opening Night Ticket holders only
Friday, April 10, 2026 | 11:00am – 7:00pm
Saturday, April 11, 2026 | 11:00am – 7:00pm
Sunday, April 12, 2026 | 11:00am – 6:00pm
Fair Information Available Here
