I visited Tomohiro Takahashi’s solo exhibition “NUZU.”
The venue is Maho Kubota Gallery.
Maho Kubota Gallery
Tomohiro Takahashi was born in Oita Prefecture in 1996, completed his master’s program at Kyoto University of the Arts in 2021, and is currently based in Kyoto.
This exhibition is his first solo since ANIMIZM (November 2021), held in Kyoto, and marks his first solo exhibition in Tokyo.
MAHO KUBOTA GALLERYInstallation view“Seek Happiness,” 2023, oil on linen mounted on panel
Takahashi is a great lover of stuffed toys, and the character motifs in his works are said to be painted from actual plush toys.
Installation view
His process involves arranging the actual plush toys into a set, photographing them, and then rendering the scene in oil paint.
“Hide-and-seek,” 2023, oil on linen mounted on panel
The tape-like traces that appear here and there are said to be direct depictions of the tape actually used to fix the set when it was arranged. Painted entirely in oil, the tape marks rise from the surface in relief — likely built up in multiple layers.
“NUZU,” which also serves as the exhibition’s title, is the name of a mouse plush toy that Takahashi has owned since he was three. It appears frequently as a character in his works, taking on various roles and meanings from piece to piece.
“Eau Claire” *Detail“ESalvator Choco” *Detail
Numerous small works were also on view in the gallery’s back room.
