"I remember," Shiori said. "You told me when I first applied to be your assistant. You said an artist can only paint sixteen great lies in their life. The seventeenth must be the truth."
One of the most sought-after items in the gallery’s shop is the 17/17 print run. Only 17 copies of each artwork are ever released, and each copy is signed with the artist’s unique "17 stamp"—a red seal carved from a 17-year-old persimmon tree. Collectors pay a premium for these items, often reselling them for 17 times the original price at auction. gallery+shiori+suwano+17
As we approach the announced date for the final (17th) physical manifestation of the gallery—rumored to be on July 17, 2026, at 17:00, somewhere in the forests of Nara—the art world watches with bated breath. Will Suwano truly shutter the concept forever, or will she reinvent it under a new numeral? Some speculate that after 17, she will move to the number 23, another prime number with mystical significance. Others believe she will retire from public art entirely, making the existing works priceless relics. "I remember," Shiori said