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Takamatsu’s haunting black and white imagery explores narratives of death and society, through a unique depth-mapping technique that he developed, in which classic mediums such as drawing, airbrush and gouache painting are combined with computer graphics. Within this new body of work, Takamatsu reflects on the conflict between personal freedom and the restraints of living within a larger societal group. Your Wings will be introducing fourteen of the artist’s signature mixed media pieces, plus feature two new rainbow-colored series: It is Time to Release (a Piece of the Rainbow) and Thoughts on Freedom.
Regarding his new show, Takamatsu shares: “I wanted to make the exhibition hopeful, not just black and white. After living a full year of self-restraint, due to COVID-19, feelings such as wanting to see my friends and go on trips became stronger and stronger. Suddenly, I thought I could go anywhere with wings. So, these new works show my honest feelings.
The show tells a story that begins with my piece ‘Feathers and Masks’ [seen above] and ends with ‘Your Wings’ [seen below]. The wing is a symbol of hope for freedom and the wearer’s light clothing represents having no restraint and freedom from life in your room. The piece ‘Spread the Wings (Let My Hair Down)’ represents the theme for these new works. All together, the works are based on the different meanings of the word ‘wings.’
The theme of the show’s biggest piece, ‘Your Wings,’ was inspired by Collette Miller’s mural, ‘Three Flowers Wings,’ seen on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles [click here to view]; which I saw during my visit for my last solo exhibition at Corey Helford Gallery in 2019. The kanji writing seen in this piece translates (from left to right) to ‘friend,’ ‘play,’ ‘liberation,’ and ‘fun.’ The sword has pierced the virus and the broken chain hints at the future. This piece is 76.3 inches high so that the viewer can take a photo in front of the outstretched wings. I made this work with the hope that many people can freely go out and enjoy galleries in the near future.
This show also features two series that combine hand-painted and silk-screened works. The larger series, entitled It is Time to Release (a Piece of the Rainbow), consists of six colors (plus white) and the pieces portray the moment when the rain stops and a rainbow appears. In the show’s smaller series, entitled Thoughts on Freedom, the rainbow is expressed in six colors in the U.S. and seven colors in Japan. The number of colors that express a rainbow varies from country to country and it’s generally expressed anywhere from two to eight colors. The reason why I chose nine colors, one more than usual, is because I want more people around the world to see the rainbow.”
Your Wings opened Saturday, January 16th in the Main Gallery, alongside a solo show Chishi Morimura, entitled Aimai, in Gallery 3. Corey Helford Gallery is located at 571 S. Anderson St. Los Angeles, CA 90033 and normal hours are Tuesday – Saturday, from 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm.
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