Written by ART Driven Tokyo
Courtesy of the artist and TomuraLee
Kazuki Takamatsu‘s solo exhibition “To fulfill your desires….” will be held at TomuraLee in Ginza, Tokyo, from Friday, May 30 to Friday, June 14, 2025.
Exploring the ephemeral and mysterious worlds expressed solely in black and white, Takamatsu uses the motif of young girls surviving the contemporary era. His work is highly acclaimed internationally.
Courtesy of the artist and TomuraLee
Courtesy of the artist and TomuraLee
An Antithesis for Our Stress-Filled Times
Below is the full artist statement from Takamatsu:
To fulfill your desires….
These works are dedicated to an era in which even the smallest desires are left unfulfilled.
When I was a student, prices were lower, and I had time to spare. I could take part-time jobs and satisfy my desires to a reasonable extent.
But looking at students today, prices have soared, and they’re overwhelmed with responsibilities—they lack time.
The advent of the internet has made society more convenient, but it has also accelerated time.
We’re bombarded with too much information, and there’s too much to do in a single day: work, gathering information, studying efficiency, improving skills, beauty routines, self-development, etc.
The list of “basic expectations” keeps growing. In this survival-of-the-fittest environment, if you stop, you fall behind.
Even what used to be considered an ordinary life is now just a distant dream.
These works serve as an antithesis to such a stress-filled era.
The lace patterns on the clothes metaphorically represent overwork and information overload, while the sheer texture of the lace expresses the emotional hollowness that remains unfilled.
My contradictory style of creation—using cutting-edge technology precisely to create more labor-intensive pieces—also reflects this theme.
I hope you’ll enjoy the hidden elements within the motifs and the underlying meanings behind the titles.
Three Questions for Kazuki Takamatsu
ART Driven Tokyo:
In your works, the black parts of the eyes appear carved—are you sculpting them in the traditional method used in sculpture?
Takamatsu:
Yes! I referenced sculpting techniques to carve out the pupils and irises.
Since my works are created without color and rely solely on depth, I solved the issue of expressing pupils by rendering them three-dimensionally.
ART Driven Tokyo:
In your earlier works, the faces lacked eyes, noses, and mouths. How do you feel now that you’ve begun to include facial features? Has the audience reaction changed?
Takamatsu:
The range of expression has broadened, and the response has been positive.
However, some viewers still prefer the older versions, so for this exhibition, I’ve created new commissioned pieces that resemble the earlier versions and will exhibit them alongside the current style.
ART Driven Tokyo:
If your current aesthetic resembles the white chess pieces, do you also have a black version? We’d love to see it!
Takamatsu:
Actually, I did try making a single reversed black-and-white piece very early on—but it didn’t turn out quite right (laughs), so I decided to stick with the current style.
In an exhausted and crushed state under invisible societal pressures, Takamatsu’s works seem to resist through a message of refined aestheticism.
This exhibition, offering strength and a sense of healing, is not to be missed.
Exhibition Details
Exhibition Title:
Kazuki Takamatsu Solo Exhibition
“To fulfill your desires…. “
Dates: Friday, May 30 – Friday, June 14, 2025
10:30 AM – 6:00 PM (until 5:00 PM on Saturdays)
Open until 9:00 PM on May 30 for the “Ginza Yakai” evening event
Closed: Sundays and Mondays
Venue: TomuraLee
603 Daiichibunsei Building, 3-9-4 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Instagram / X (Twitter): @tomuralee
