Welcome to the South Room Art Show. This page is a construction site you can safely stroll through. I'll be working on it every day until it feels complete. Interested in purchasing an art piece? Please let me know which one and where you'd like it shipped. I will send you a payment link. Once the payment is processed, the Artist will ship your art piece to the address.Unless otherwise noted, all photographs on this site were taken by the Galleryst.
SPF Dale Trust (2024) Colored pencil on paper, approx. 21×29.7cm Price: ¥13,200 + shipping
The South Room Art Show
The South Room Art Show is a team: one artist and one gallerist. A micro-business experiment created to share the stories behind each piece—and to honor the often invisible work that brings art into the world.
Current exhibition:
SPF Dale
Becoming (in Progress)
SPF Dale started drawing and painting as a young child. They remind me of an iceburg: gentle and mysterious. You know, the way even the tip of an iceburg surprises you with a unique scenery, depending on on where you are. A mixed-media kind of human, SPF Dale works with all sorts of materials including fabric, ceramics, and clay.The title of this show, "Becoming (in Progress)," refers to the progression from their last show in Kyoto, "A Little Lost."They grew up in Singapore and Norway in a Malaysian Chinese and Norwegian family, received academic training in Europe, and eventually found their way to Japan as a young scholar in 2009. They’ve lived here since.
SPF Dale
Connections (2025)
Ink on paper, 18×14×2cm
Price: ¥8,800 + shipping
SPF Dale
Confrontation (2025)
Ink on paper, 18×18×2cm
Price: ¥9,900 + shipping
SPF Dale
Rage (Speak) (2024)
Colored pencil on paper, approx. 21×29.7cm
Price: ¥13,200 + shipping
SPF Dale
I Told You I’m Not Human (2024)
Colored pencil on paper, approx. 21×29.7cm
Price: ¥12,100 + shipping
SPF Dale
Star Kitty (2021)
Watercolor on paper, incl. frame (23×19cm)
Price: ¥6,600 + shipping
Current Exhibit:
SPF Dale
Becoming (in Progress)
SPF Dale
To Heal (2024)
Colored pencil on paper, approx. 21×29.7cm
Price: ¥13,200 + shipping
SPF Dale
Left: Coexistence, Center: You Can Get Out, Right: Waiting
Coexistence (2024)
Ink on paper, approx. 21×29.7cm
Price: ¥11,000 + shipping
SPF Dale
You Can Get Out (2024)
Ink on paper, approx. 21×29.7cm
Price: ¥11,000 + shipping
The South Room Art Show's softest launchA kind artist reached out to me, and I got to work together with them this past summer.The Artist showed up carrying a big backpack on their back, two canvas bags on their arms, all filled with art pieces. They then carefully took the pieces out of the boxes, one by one. And ran a cloth over glass sheets and frames to remove the dust, one by one.I asked them if I could touch the pieces, look at them, style them, study them, take photos, move them around, take more photos.And boy, did we talk.
The Gallerist: In the Artist profile, should I say ‘SPF Dale PhD’?
The Artist: Nah. That’s for people who want to tell the world they have a PhD.The Gallerist: Does that mean I can’t mention it where it’s relevant?
The Artist: Uh. You can.I had the chance to read their doctoral dissertation on queer theory, which they opened with the phrase, “Gender, way of being.” I enjoyed reading it, bit by bit.The SPF Dale who wrote these words over a decade ago is a different person from the Artist today. We are always on the way somewhere, in motion. The same is true of creative works, I think. They speak to us about those in-progress moments, each one marking where the Artist was at that particular time.
Meet the Artist, SPF Dale.
SPF Dale started drawing and painting as a young child. They remind me of an iceburg: gentle and mysterious. You know, the way even the tip of an iceburg surprises you with a unique scenery, depending on on where you are. A mixed-media kind of human, SPF Dale works with all sorts of materials including fabric, ceramics, and clay.The title of this show, "Becoming (in Progress)," refers to the progression from their last show in Kyoto, "A Little Lost."They grew up in Singapore and Norway in a Malaysian Chinese and Norwegian family, received academic training in Europe, and eventually found their way to Japan as a young scholar in 2009. They’ve lived here since.
Meet the Gallerist
[photo, bio, quote]
Why We Exist
Having a piece of art made by a living human feels different. It has a presence you can’t replicate. Every work carries a story. At The South Room Art Show, we share those stories with you, hoping you’ll find one that speaks to you—and that you’ll retell it to friends and loved ones for years to come.
Why Choose The South Room?
Micro-scale: We work with one artist at a time.Human-first. Not made by AI. Not made by cis men.Shared voice: We tell each other’s stories.Transparent split: 50% for the artist, 50% for the gallerist—always.
How It Works
We partner with one artist at a time.We photograph and write about their work together.You browse, choose, and purchase here.The artist ships your piece directly to you.We celebrate that your purchase supports independent queer and women's art.
Logistics
We believe in keeping things clear and simple. Here’s how it works.Who sets the prices?
The Gallerist. We do this to take the pressure off the Artist. While the Gallerist sets prices to ease the Artist’s burden, we always talk through pricing together so it feels right on both sides.Who pays for shipping?
The buyer covers shipping costs, calculated at checkout.Can I return an artwork?
We don’t accept returns unless an item is damaged in transit (in which case the store platform’s policies apply).
Join Us
[newsletter signup]
[follow on social]
[contact]
Artist Info
Common Goal
・To promote and sell original art to good folks
・While creating sustainable profits for both the Artist and the Gallerist
・In an environment where we recognize each other’s work
・And have each other’s backsHow It Works
The Artist brings their works to the South Room.
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Together, the Artist and Gallerist set up the artworks for photography and video.
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They take photos and record details.
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The Artist shares stories about each piece while the Gallerist takes notes.
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The Artist packs up their works and takes them home.
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The Gallerist creates content and offers the pieces for sale.
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When an artwork sells, the Gallerist shares the purchaser’s information with the Artist.
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The Artist packs and ships the piece to the buyer.
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The Gallerist sends the Artist their payment.What Each Person Does
The Artist
Creates artwork, frames pieces (if needed), explains the work to the Gallerist, carries pieces to and from the South Room, helps set up for photography, show up for their audience, thell them about the show, ships sold works to buyers, and—importantly—brags about the Gallerist.The Gallerist
Maintains The South Room Art Show (the physical space and the website), photographs and describes artworks, listen to the Artist, writes about the art and the Artist, tells her audience about the collection, sets pricing, processes transactions, and—just as importantly—brags about the Artist.Compensation
Profits are split evenly: 50% for the Artist and 50% for the Gallerist.The South Room isn’t an automated platform—it’s me, Ayuko, taking care of every step that brings your work to buyers. From photography to storytelling to handling payments, this labor is part of the value we create together.If you’re an artist interested in working together, I’d love to hear from you.
An Artist's Questions, Answered
An artist friend of mine asked:“I'd be curious about how artists are chosen, or if it's just a matter of getting in touch with you.”I loved the question, and here’s my answer—as of today, July 11, 2025!To me, it’s a two-part question:
Part I: What are the selection criteria?
Part II: What happens in the process?Part I: What are the selection criteria?
It’s really a mutual selection process.
Here’s how I think about it, from the Gallerist’s perspective:The Artist as a Person
I try to be the kind of person the Artist wants to work with. And I look for the same in return. Some things I consider:・Do I feel safe with this person?
・Is communication easy?・Do they show up (on time, most of the time) and follow through?
・Do they recognize and credit other people’s work?・Do they have a sense of self-awareness?
・Do they manage their own admin tasks?The Work
The art itself needs to be:・Finished pieces
・2D or 3D tangible works・In any genre or theme—I'm not the buyer, and we're not trying to guess what will sell. People like what they like. This is an experiment.
・Dealbreakers? Cigarette smell. The Gallerist will know when she sees it.And most importantly:
・If you have things to say about your work, we might be a good fit.
If you have nothing to say about your work, we probably aren’t.Part II: What happens in the process?
Here’s the scenario I imagine in my mind’s eye:An Artist stumbles upon The South Room Art Show website and spends some time looking, reading, feeling, and thinking.
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They visit the contact form and do the same—reading the questions, feeling, thinking.
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They go back and forth between the site and the form. Looking. Reading. Feeling. Thinking.
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Eventually, they upload a few photos and type out some answers. They hit Send.
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The Gallerist receives the submission and sends a thank-you email within 48 hours.
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The Gallerist takes time to look at the photos, read the answers, and look up the Artist online, all while feeling and thinking.
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The Gallerist writes back to say whether it feels like a good fit.
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If it does, she suggests an in-person conversation—online or at a café.
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The Artist and Gallerist meet and talk. Then both go home and spend more time feeling and thinking.I will be kind, honest, and professional. No holding back.
