Lot 1157: KOJIRO TAKAKUWA

KOJIRO TAKAKUWA
(b. 1973)
Take You and Me away from the Risk towards Them on the Other Side
signed and titled in Japanese; dated '2008' (on the reverse)
acrylic on canvas
130 x 162 cm. (51 1/4 x 63 7/8 in.)
Painted in 2008

Kojiro Takakuwa's magnificent and large-scale portrayal of his headless protagonists from underneath the water, not only show the artist's outstanding artistic skillfulness, but also his profound social awareness. The elaborate and carefully executed compositions of Take You and Me Away From the Risk Towards Them on the Other Side (Lot 1157) and I Who Am Not Me And You Who Are Not You Are With Them on the Other Side (Lot 1158) show excellent perspective precision and proportional accuracy. Together with his representational color palette of various hues of blue and pastel shades and a hardly discernible brushstroke, highly realistic and animated images are achieved. At the same time, Takakuwa's works bear a deep metaphorism. Huddled on the ground in self-embrace these headless protagonists seem to float in the water with no direction and in eternal solitude. Even the intimate perspective and seeming proximity to them cannot break the wall of existential isolation, as the viewer's under-water position makes him deaf and mute to what is happening above the surface. While in many religions and cultures the element of water symbolizes purity and rebirth, in the works of Takakuwa it stands for impenetrable loneliness in which, as the title I Who Am Not Me And You Who Are Not You indicates, even the person sitting just opposite you can be nothing more than a deceptive reflection of yourself in the water.

In his works, Takakuwa carefully observes and comments on the importance of human interaction and communication. He encourages us to reach into the isolated world of another human being and to create a personal connection. It is this very first step in the beginning of a human relationship that inspires the artist.