Shusaku Takaoka
Graphic artist Shusaku Takaoka.
On his official Instagram, he posts works that collage familiar motifs with celebrated masterpieces.
His works, which give a contemporary twist to figures from famous paintings such as the Mona Lisa and Van Gogh, have won support from overseas as well, and boast a following of 343,000 as of August 2020.
The following work was posted by Takaoka to Instagram on March 12, 2020, with the caption “Wash hand and pray.”
The image quotes Dürer’s “Praying Hands.”
Billboard Deployment
Takaoka’s exceptional sense has attracted attention from the fashion and streetwear world as well; the work was suddenly added to a billboard visible from the platform of Gakugei-daigaku Station on the Tokyu Toyoko Line.
The billboard had been set up by the apparel brand “Stylist Shibutsu,” directed by stylist Koichiro Yamamoto, and the SNS-centered brand “ENNOY.” This initiative catapulted the work to instant popularity.
Installation view — quoted from Ring of Colour
Art Can Save US
Furthermore, in May 2020, Takaoka joined the charity project “Art Can Save US,” organized primarily by two collectors, as one of its twenty participating artists.
Regarding his participation in the charity, he offered the following comment.
The idea suddenly came to me.
As I gave form to that idea, a work full of energy took shape.
And I thought: what if this work could give strength to people around the world?
May this prayer reach as many people as possible.Shusaku Takaoka
The work was released as a limited edition of 25.
Shusaku Takaoka does not normally sell his works, but at the collectors’ invitation the edition came to be realized as a charity initiative.
The work was later developed into a printed T-shirt as a triple-name collaboration between “Stylist Shibutsu,” “ENNOY,” and “Sakanaction.”
Overview
Artist: Shusaku Takaoka
Title: Prayer and Hand-Washing
Year: 2020
Project: Art Can Save Us
Original work created: March 12, 2020
Print produced: 2020
Price: 15,000 JPY (tax and shipping included)
Size: A3 (297mm × 420mm)
Print technique: Giclée print
Edition: 25
Hand-signed
* Printed on acid-free fine art paper with excellent long-term preservability
