Mitsukuni Takimoto Sō kara Sō

Tokyo Gallery + BTAP is pleased to announce Sō kara Sō 相から相, a solo exhibition of Takimoto Mitsukuni.

Born in Fukuoka in 1952, Takimoto moved to Italy in 1977 to study under Toyofuku Tomonori, who practiced sculpture in Milan. Takimoto has gone on to build a 45-year career, during which he has created a consistent oeuvre of contemporary wood sculpture works while remaining faithful to traditional techniques. He also is a restorer of classical Buddhist statues. Takimoto spent more time in Italy in 2014 as part of an Agency of Cultural Affairs study programme, and his works were featured in a solo exhibition at Tokyo Gallery + BTAP upon his return to Japan. Sō kara Sō is the second instalment in the Chōsō series.

Influenced by Toyofuku, Takimoto created abstract reliefs in the 1980s before switching to a style that is more representational, albeit restricted to subjects that linger in the viewer’s memory like waterfalls, rivers, clouds, and smoke, in a phenomenon reminiscent of persistence of vision. The chisel marks on the surface of his fluid works are both a record of the act of creation and a symbol of the working of the artist’s mind as he attempts to grasp indefinite images.

After returning from his studies in Italy, Takimoto began creating his Chōsō series of representational works, which draw inspiration from well-known pieces from the history of modern Art. Sō – Ingres' Waterfall (2021), one of the pieces exhibited in this exhibition, references La Source [The Spring], a seminal work by 19th century French artist Jean-August Dominique Ingres, while Sō – Young Woman in a Black Blouse (2022) and Sō – Black Cat (2022) reference the Balthus paintings Portrait de jeune fille en costume d’amazone [Portrait of a Young Girl in an Amazon Costume] (1932) and Le Roi des chats [The King of Cats] (1935). The indefinite forms that Takimoto employs as subjects sublime into elements of his sculptures, as his free and serene carvings breathe new life into historical figures and animals.

As part of Sō kara Sō, a catalogue containing a review by Kagioka Masanori, advisor and former director of the Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art will be produced. We look forward to welcoming you to the gallery.