Natsuko Tanihara “The Unyielding Ones”
We visited Natsuko Tanihara’s first solo exhibition in Tokyo, “The Unyielding Ones.” The venue was gallery MEM in Ebisu.
Regarding the exhibition title “The Unyielding Ones (Matsurowanumono),” Tanihara explains that the term refers to “the peoples who fiercely resisted around the time the Yamato court was being established — meaning those who did not submit or yield.” She says that what she paints are the stories of these unyielding ones.
The work “The Unyielding Ones” is a large-scale piece measuring 180cm x 200cm.
Tanihara’s works are painted with oil and acrylic paints on black velvet cloth, and even at large scale, the sheer volume of detail packed into them is overwhelming.
No matter how beautiful the paint applied to it, black velvet carries an air of mystery and unease, and seems to radiate a distinctive kind of strength.
“Twilight,” which depicts the twilight hour, is a work inspired by events that unfold at the time of day when the setting sun makes it hard to make out people’s faces.
At dusk, when features become indistinct, three women each assert their own presence while seemingly questioning the viewer about the relationships between them.
“Atonement” is a work produced in Paris, France.
Whether she is playing cat’s cradle or knitting, a red thread, a white veil, and the black velvet ground intertwine with lavish flowers and patterns.
“As Far As You Can Go” depicts a “magma” that looks like a sea of blood gradually closing in, set against the backdrop of the French cliffs often taken up as motifs in classic paintings. Tanihara actually visits these sites and incorporates them into her paintings.
Her work is generated through a combination of on-the-ground research and imagination.
“I Can See Nothing” is a work inspired by the “Tsuyama Massacre,” a real-life mass murder case.
As part of her creative process, Tanihara keeps her preparatory sketches as stepping stones.
This exhibition also displays and sells these drawing works.
This is the first Tokyo solo exhibition for Tanihara, who hails from the Kansai region.
The prices for the works come across as notably restrained. It seems this reflects an intention to expand her collector base in the Kanto area.
The expressions of the works, played out by black velvet cloth and paint, run endlessly deep, drawing us as viewers into their world of darkness and color.
