Echigo Tsumari Art Triennale 2015 Art Tour Report No.10 - Kaori Tanaka

Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale

It is already the second half of the Triennale period this year.
Among more than 300 works in view, our gallery will be introducing those we would like to especially recommend.

A sincere artist of Japanese painting, Kaori Tanaka (1959-2013) draws on motifs in the nature ranging from grass, trees, stones, soil, rain, snow, water flow, moon to wind. She passed away at the early age of fifty-three two years ago, leaving behind her whole life as a painter over twenty five years. We are thus pleased to present it in Echigo-Tsumari, beloved venue of the artist. Art works, chosen to remind us to appreciate the transition of her concept on nature and universe, include Garden, Current, early masterpieces, Hojo, posthumous work exhibited for the first time, abstract Line, Square, Triangle, Circle and Dust series in late years.

photo Ishizuka Gentaro

Installed neatly in the old folk house of Bunanoki Gakusha built 240 years ago, the works demonstrate her lifelong project to pursue “the relationship between space and Japanese painting”, altering the whole muscular space for what the solitary-and–brave challenger has dreamed of. What we call Japanese Painting was born out of Fusuma, Shoji or Sliding screen, Byobu, and Scroll painting etc. In fact, her attitude for paintings transformed from traditional method and symbols in Rinpa Style into abstract “lines” themselves, which we can see at this show.

photo Ishizuka Gentaro

-I always hope that my work will go beyond the border of self-portrait, to reach the “event” behind it, and therefore reflecting the heart of the audience, by Kaori Tanaka (cited from her text on her solo exhibit Garden III).

photo Ishizuka Gentaro

(レポート　奥野恵, reported by Kei Okuno, Art Front Gallery)

Triennale passport and guidebooks are also available in our gallery at Daikanyama, Tokyo. Start planning your trip before getting there in Echingo-Tsumar

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