The Japanese Contemporary Art Exhibition is taking place at Sands Gallery, showcasing over 90 works of contemporary Japanese artists Kunihiko Nohara, Takaoki Tajima, Hiroya Yoshikawa, Nami Okada, Keitoku Toizumi, and Ryosuke Kawahira.
The exhibition, which is on until March 30, is part of the two-month-long 2024 Macau Japan Spring Festival that kicked off last month, with integrated resort (IR) operator Sands China as one of its co-organisers.
The works showcased in the exhibition were created by the exclusive artists of gallery UG, which is one of Japan’s largest contemporary art galleries and has over 25 years of history, according to a recent statement from Sands. The gallery has showrooms in New York and Osaka, and two galleries in Tokyo.
Artist in focus: Takaoki Tajima
Chiba-born artist Tajima brings his skill in exploring the intricate relationship between colours in his works to the exhibition.
Born in 1973, the artist is a graduate of the Faculty of Arts Department of Sculpture of the Aichi University of the Arts. Tajima told the Post in a recent email interview that both his father and grandfather were sculptors, while his great-grandfather was a Buddhist sculptor. And at a young age, he already knew that he wanted to be one as well. “I have wanted to be a sculptor since I was little, always drawing pictures and tinkering with clay”, he said.
Tajima said he is committed to orthodox sculpture and painting, both of which are showcased at the exhibition. His works have been exhibited in Japan, Taipei, and New York. Further describing his works, information about him displayed at the exhibition notes that his artworks feature characters portrayed in backgrounds that “illustrate their mysterious expressions and movements through very simple, yet bold composition which highlights the relationship between the colours next to each other”.
One of the characters that can be found in his works is that of a cat. Asked about its appearance and significance in his works, Tajima pointed out that aside from being a cat lover himself, the character suits his composition perfectly. “But it’s not like I’m drawing the same cat [each time]”.
Tajima noted that he was “very pleased” to exhibit his works in Macau, for which he created a new piece entitled “I Surrender, Dear”.
“I hope each viewer will feel something different when looking at it [the new piece]”, he concluded.
The Sands Gallery is located on the 6th floor of The Grand Suites at Four Seasons Macao and is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. More details can be found on https://en.sandsresortsmacao.com/sands-lifestyle/sands-art-gallery.html
These photos show the works of other Japanese artists on display at Sands Gallery. – Photos: Rui Pastorin
These photos show some of Takaoki Tajima’s work on display at Sands Gallery.
