Remembering Master Pop Artist Keiichi Tanaami (1936-2024)
We are saddened to hear of the passing of master pop artist Keiichi Tanaami. His work was equally fueled by the horrific atomic blast he witnessed in World War II and the bright and ugliness of pop culture (B Movies, animation, comics, pornography, Disney and consumerism). Tanaami’s art is both beautiful and horrifying. Keiichi Tanaami was a Hi-Fructose cover feature of issue 38 and we interviewed him on several occasions. Our sympathies to his friends, family and fans all across the world.
Below is a reposted interview with the artist for Hi-Fructose with Caro Buermann from March 2016:
It is in Keiichi Tanaami’s personality to take even the darkest of his life’s experiences and turn them into positive expressions. The Psychedelic Japanese artist’s sensational paintings of crazy characters engaged in the chaos of war has made him a leading art figure not just in Japan, but all over the world. We recently featured Tanaami’s intensely visual work in Hi-Fructose Vol. 38, where he shared with us the origins of his art, and the deep effect that his wartime experiences has had on his psyche. In this rare interview, Tanaami tells us more about his dark past and the myriad of international influences on his work to date.
In his current solo show titled “Visible Darkness, Invisible Darkness”, Tanaami continues to present these powerful images from his memories as a child during World War II. The show marks the artist’s first major solo presentation in the United States, currently on view at Sikkema Jenkins & Co in New York. Reflected in these largescale new pieces is Tanaami’s engagement with his contemporary artistic environment and continued reimagining of traditional Japanese iconography. Cherry blossoms, Guzei bridges and Buddha figures are featured alongside roosters and tigers, inspired by the work of Ito Jakachu, an 18th century scroll painter. Tanaami, now in his 80s, is making some of his most technically ambitious work to date. In this rare interview, Tanaami tells us more about his dark past and the myriad of international influences on his work to date.
HF: In the 1960s, you were living in the United States, where you spent time with the likes of Andy Warhol at his famous New York City studio. Tell us about where you are living now, and how the experience of living in different places has affected your work.
KT: Since I was born in Tokyo and had been brought up here, I have scarcely experienced to live in different places, but I am currently teaching at an art college in Kyoto, therefore have chances to visit there on regular basis. The spiritual atmosphere of Kyoto produced by the temples, gardens and old towns always takes me to a different world. I have been residing in Japan for long, so can not see it from that view point, but just I could say I like Japan most. Whenever I travel to foreign countries, I always realize this. Therefore I have never thought of residing in the other countries.
The role of the artist is to embody the world which we have never seen nor perceived.
HF: What’s your strongest memory of your childhood? Can you remember the first time that you realized that you could draw?
KT: It is too long ago to remember when I first draw. The strongest memory in my boyhood was the war, namely that was the time when the US air force B-29 flew over Tokyo, to made the entire city in flames. I escaped into the air-raid shelter and was staring at such desperate view with bated breath, felt the heat almost burning my face, so I was always covering my face with a wet towel and enduring such fear as though it would be continued endlessly.
In my boyhood, I was always scolded by mother since I was drawing manga all day. I was not interested in the things other than watching movies and drawing pictures. The movies I watched were over 500 for a year, but most of those were a kind of B movies. My admiration for American culture was strengthened by the heroes in the western movies, glamorous beautiful blonde women, gorgeous diners, and the animations such as Mickey Mouse, Betty Boop, Popeye, which have greatly influenced me and even my current works.
HF: You have been credited as the pioneer of Pop Art in post-war Japan. Do you find that Pop Art in Japan differs from the rest of the world? How do you explain your affinity for working in this style of art?
KT: In my early stage, I was influenced by Pop art of US and UK, especially the methodology of Andy Warhol enabled to go across the boundaries between medias which fully overwhelmed me, thereby I dedicated myself to making experimental films and art books. A number of works of Pop art in US art magazines which I found in the imported book shop in Tokyo strongly stimulated my creativity. Compared with the sophisticated expression style of US’s or UK’s Pop art, Japanese Pop art seems more tied with local issues.
HF: As an artist who incorporates such a diversity of influences, are there specific artists or styles that you most identify with? Which mediums do you choose to work with these days?
KT: The art which I identify with is of Giorgio de Chirico and Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, among Japanese art is of the painters in Edo period such as Soga Shohaku, Itoh Jakuchu and Hasegawa Tohaku. Especially, Jakuchu’s works are so elaborate and profound, which always overwhelm me.
What most inspired me is B movies in US. For example, Roy Rogers in the over-decorated shining costume riding the white house Trigger was as though moving pop art; the scene of Jane Russell almost exposing her breast and laying on hay in a glamorous pose was imprinted on my mind and that would never be wiped off; the mystery and fantasy of Creature from the Black Lagoon; and the skyscraper resounded with the footsteps of Lauren Bacall walking in high heels; these are all the sources of my inspiration.
The materials I use are acrylic paint, canvas, conté, crayon and so on, thereby not special materials, but some time I use the glass broken into pieces to be put on the surface of the canvas to make an effect produced by reflection of light. The inspirations for my works come from manga, porn books, tabloid magazines full of trivial scandalous articles, the portraits of murders or photos of catastrophic crime scenes placed on newspaper, namely that are not high culture stuffs.
The inspirations for my works come from manga, porn books, tabloid magazines full of trivial scandalous articles, the portraits of murders or photos of catastrophic crime scenes placed on newspaper…
HF: In your opinion, what role does the artist have in society? What do you hope that others will gain from viewing your art?
KT: The role of the artist is to embody the world which we have never seen nor perceived. There are some artists who create the works based on the theme referring the society with criticism or re-definition, but my works are rather engaged in embodying the inside of myself, which includes “the memory of the war in my boyhood”, “Sickness” and “Death” as the main theme.
My expression has an aspect of relieving myself, therefore, to spend everyday life with calm mind without getting involved in unjust situations among the society is the integral thing for my creation.
HF: What advice can you offer to young artists looking at your work?
KT: I have never made the piece which satisfied myself. Every time I make work, I feel unsatisfied with some points of the work, and make up my mind to make better work next time, thus turns out to be my motivation.
You can read more about this artist in his cover feature in Hi-Fructose 38.
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.
Our next print issue of Hi-Fructose Magazine arrives in stores Jan. 1st, 2016! Featured in this issue is: A glaringly awesome cover by Japanese art icon Keiichi Tanaami. Tanaami’s history and story is amazing, and the result of which is a unique eye-splitting body of work we’re happy to bring to you in print. Plus Riikka Hyvönen’s “Derby Kisses”, Tip Toland’s meaningful hyper-real sculptures, Yellena James’ beautiful painted floral explosions, Mark Ryden’s latest show Dodecahedron, and the mighty ink pen of Kim Jung Gi. We follow this with extensive features on Eric White’s paintings of a Hollywood-gone-bizarro, Chris Mars’ frighteningly beautiful world, Yoshitoshi Kanemaki’s amazing multi-expressional sculptures, and painter Margaret Bowland’s immersive work about power and identity. Also in this issue, punk rock historian and RE/Search founder V.Vale delves into the new photography book Shot in the Dark: Collected Photography by David Arnoff, plus much more! Pre-order copies direct from us here!
The bold, dynamic oil paintings of French artist Cedrix Crespel use atypical perspective, a graphical approach, and abstractions. The subjects and backdrops recall the femme fatale of comic books and street art. In a statement, the artist offers insight into the ever-present female form in his works.
We are what we eat- are we also what we play with? Australian artist Freya Jobbins asks questions about modern consumerism with her strange portraits made of doll parts. Her surrealist imagination has come up with busts of pop culture icons like Batman, Bart Simpson, and self portaits made of discarded Barbie legs. Jobbins' abstract way of seeing others is highly influenced by Italian Mannerist painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo. He famously painted images of gods and Roman emperors made up of objects like vegetables, fruits, and flowers. While very amusing, there's an incredible amount of detail and thought that goes into Jobbins' pieces.
Musician and visual artist Jon Langford offers pop-infused woodcuts in his new show at La Luz de Jesus Gallery: "Make Americana Great Again," kicking off on Sept. 6 at the space. Otherwise known as a founder of punk act The Mekons and a member of alt-country act The Waco Brothers (among other bands), the artist’s work shows that one form is not divorced from another. Langford was at one time the artist-in-residence at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.
First covered on 
"I never imagined some of my pictures would be in Moscow," says 82 year old artist Peter Saul. The San Francisco based painter's early use of pop-culture cartoon references in the late 1950s and early 1960s has earned him the title of a Pop Art founding father, and to date, he has realized over 800 paintings throughout his career. A colorful selection of them made their debut on Friday at Gary Tatintsian Gallery in Moscow, Russia in Saul's new exhibit, "You better call Saul!"
Closing this weekend at 
