This exhibition is the fourth in our continuing series, which seeks to explore "The Human Condition", introducing art works produced by a serious desire from the human essential root, irrespective of the times and places. Following exhibitions "Jaguar's Children: The Art of Olmec", "RESPECT: Idols of our Ancestors", and "A.D.79: The Art of Roma ", this time we present works by Japanese painter, Tomoharu Murakami. It is the first time to make one-person show by a living artist in this series.

Tomoharu Murakami was born in Fukushima Prefecture in 1938. After graduating from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, he lives and works in Tokyo. His works are highly appraised internationally and housed in the collection of many museums including the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Weserburg Museum of Modern Art, Bremen and Cleveland Museum of Art, etc.

Murakami's work is usually composed of very few colors of paint whether it is a work on paper or a work on canvas. Its surface is covered with black oil paint or in some cases with red or white acrylic paint being mixed. Common to every piece is that it has been created by tremendous accumulation of ascetic procedures that require great concentration. In case of works on canvas, he applies many layers of black oil paint on canvas with palette knife. In case of drawings with pencil and sumi ink, he draws so many tiny vertical and horizontal lines. In case of print works, he carves the copper plate or wooden block with very thin lines so many times. In case of works on paper, he dares to use acrylic paint and oil paint together at a time, which is normally very difficult since they do not have an affinity. Overcoming this difficulty brings the strength of his works.

Murakami's activity is far beyond the field of fine art or painting since it seems that he is not interested at all in the idea of representation or expression of individual, which has defined modern art. His solitary, hard work is rather a selfless conduct that has some parallels to a prayer to God. In this point, the art of Murakami, which is starting from void and reaching to eternity and infinity, is all the same as ancient art works we have shown in this serial exhibition.

The big earthquake disaster last March suddenly robbed from us, many things on which we had depended as science or modern system of our society. On the other hand, it made many things exposed, that we could not see before, and now we can realize all achievement by modern civilization and economical development are just castles in the air. What is hidden inside of Murakami's works painted in black and red, or fog-covered pencil works, that were until now staying quietly beside many expressional paintings with extreme colors yelling out loudly to get our attention ? Now we are facing a big paradigm shift. We do hope this exhibition could be a good opportunity for all of us to suspend our daily life and to try to see what we could not see before, to see the essentials.

* The text provided by taguchi fine art, ltd.

Period: Saturday, July 23 - Saturday, August 13, 2011
Venue: taguchi fine art, ltd.