“Cherry Blossoms Falling in the Evening Gloom” by Keiichi Tanaami
Japanese pop artist Keiichi Tanaami (previously covered here) has a new exhibition on view at Tokyo’s underground gallery, Nanzuka. “Cherry Blossoms Falling in the Evening Gloom” is named after his show’s titular piece, an effort to take the darkest of his personal experiences and turn them into a positive image. The 3-meter painting leads into a transformation in the artist’s motifs, known for his glowing, grotesque creatures, which are shown emitting light. These beams of light represent searchlights from Japanese bomber planes, a childhood memory etched in Tanaami’s mind. This exhibition also marks an exploration of new materials, as in his sculptures of trippy, spider-like skeletal characters. Despite the gloom and horrific events that were Tanaami’s inspiration, he has arrived at his “ultimate paradise”, where both good and bad emotions co-exist. “Cherry Blossoms Falling in the Evening Gloom” exhibits at Nanzuka Underground in Tokyo, Japan through December 13th, 2014.
