Yuji Takahashi
The Tokyo University of the Arts project “Summer Art Festival 2018” I recently visited at Nihombashi Mitsukoshi brought together an enormous number of artists and works — it was a thoroughly enjoyable project.
Among them, one artist that caught my eye was “Yuji Takahashi.”
He paints works that feel as if the world of a picture book had leaped out of the page — mysterious worlds unfold on the canvas, and I found myself drawn in, staring intently.
Yuji Takahashi — An imaginary festival of an imaginary country. The bones of those who died that year are placed in a box shaped like a house, then sent up in a square balloon as a farewell rite. The balloon crosses the sea, and after landing, turns to dust — leaving only the house standing alone.
All the works are “mixed media.” Depending on the piece, you can see distinctive differences in surface texture; acrylic paint and sand appear to be used.
A work of his was also on view in the 10,000-yen flat-rate corner. Of course, it already had a red dot sticker (sold), but its cryptic, imaginary motifs seem to challenge one’s imagination.
Rather than painting proper, his work might fit more naturally into the category of illustration or design. It seems he also had work in the “Art no Chikara Senbatsu-ten” being held at the same time at Isetan Shinjuku — a regret that I missed it. He’s a young artist, and his future activity is very much worth watching.
Details
MITSUKOSHI ✕ Tokyo University of the Arts Summer Art Festival 2018
Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Building, 6F Art Gallery
August 15 (Wed) – 20 (Mon), 2018 — closes at 5:00 p.m. on the final day
Participating Artists
● Japanese-style Painting
Haruka Ito, Kota Iwatani, Hanako Sawasaki, Rinna Shiino, Sanami Shimada, Kei Sugiyama, Yui Furuyama, Yukie Mori, Yuki Yamada, Yuka Den
● Oil Painting
Rena Uchida, Sachiko Osugi, Ryu Kawada, Reira Takemura, Mariko Tachihara, Kenichi Nakamura, Manami Numata, Sei Nozawa, Gin Hasegawa, Sara Haruta, Sabrina Hedwig Horak, Xu Yun, Yuhei Makiyama, Yo Mogi, Jun Yoshida, Li Feifei, Hikaru Watanabe
● Sculpture
Susumu Ako, Kishi Omori, Hiroyuki Kawashima, Shoichi Kitayama, Terumi Kozuka, Mao Saruwatari, Gento Suzuki, Konomi Mori, Ayumi Morooka
● Metal Carving
Kumiko Endo, Maya Koga, Nao Mizutani
● Metal Forging
Marie Sakagami, Eiko Miki, Mizuto Miyazaki, Ayako Kuno, Sakiko Sugimura
● Lacquerware
Iori Oda, Ami Tanakadate, Shinpei Matsuzaki
● Ceramics
Takato Sasaki, Masashi Shigeta, Taro Takaoka
● Textile Dyeing and Weaving
Kishi Ebizuka, Miho Katsuragawa, Miho Sekimizu
● Glass
Yu Uchida, Kaho Enomoto, Yasuo Okuda
● Craft Foundations
Masaki Ikoshi, Taku Higuchi
● Woodcraft
Takayuki Koishi, Shintaro Murao
● Design
Yusuke Aonuma, ICHASU, Yoshiaki Oshiro, Haruka Kanemaru, Eri Karasawa, Kyo Koganesawa, Nana Shimomura, Yuji Takahashi, Kei Tanaka, Akiko Nakaya, Nitoushin, Hayato Fujimura, Takashi Hokoi, Marina Hosoda, mollydomon, Isana Yamada, Dari Yamada, Manami Washino
● Architecture
Ryohei Akita, fujirooll, Megumi Machida,
● Intermedia Art
Yoshiki Omote, Chie Orihara, Noriaki Kamiya, Ryota Kikuchi, Arisa Chinen
● Art Education
Noriko Nomura, Seiji Mukai
● Cultural Properties
Naoshi Ono, Satoko Ogura, Hisanori Kojima, Atsuo Suzumura, Yuko Takeda, Chisato Nakano, Daisuke Mukai, Aki Yamada
