Since ancient times, Japan has intertwined the use of wood throughout its society, and images of Shinto deities and Buddhist figures have likewise been expressed in a variety of ways which have also evolved from era to era.
The Buddhist sculptors (busshi) who created those images did so in accordance with the locations and faiths in which the deities and figures were enshrined, whether that be in a human form or in a non-representational form. Born as the 5th generation descendent of a family of sculptors who have maintained a lineage of Buddhist sculptors, Takaoki TAJIMA grew up surrounded by sculptures of Shinto deities and Buddhist figures from all ages.
To TAJIMA, the ability to produce artwork in a diverse range of styles is second nature. While others may perceive great differences between a proportional statue of a woman and a cute non-representational statue, he perceives both as embodying a type of presence that is invisible to the naked eye.
While the gaze of the statue of the proportional woman seems strong but unfocused, and gives the viewer the impression of a merciful presence not unlike that of Samantabhadra, the non-representational statue provides the viewer with the impression of a presence similar to that of the ubiquitous gods in the Shinto belief system, a concept with which Japanese viewers are quite familiar.
These presences—invisible, beyond description and unknown—are universal, regardless of the era, and should continue to be heeded irrespective of the pressures of modern society.
Kunihiko NOHARATakaoki TAJIMANami OKADA
art stage OSAKA 2022
2022/06/03 -2022/06/06
DOJIMA RIVER FORUM
Kunihiko NOHARATakaoki TAJIMATakayuki NIWAHitomi OSHIMANaoki NOMURA Mitsuaki TACHIBANA
ART×ART KOBE 2022
2022/05/11 -2022/05/16
DAIAMRU Kyoto F9
Kunihiko NOHARATakaoki TAJIMAOsamu WATANABETakashi ONISHITomoko WADAIkki MIYAKENaoki SHIMOYAMA
Art@DAIMARU
2022/04/20 -2022/04/25
Daimaru Kyoto
Kunihiko NOHARATakaoki TAJIMANami OKADATakayuki NIWAKeitoku TOIZUMI
Gallery Colection
2022/02/01 -2022/02/28
gallery UG Tennoz
Kunihiko NOHARATakaoki TAJIMAOsamu WATANABEJunko ASANORyosuke KAWAHIRA Yu Chuan Takaoki MIYAOKA
ONE ART TAIPEI
2022/01/14 -2022/01/16
Taipei
Takaoki TAJIMA
Takaoki TAJIMA Solo Exhibition.
2021/12/09 -2022/01/06
DAIKANYAMA T-SITE
Takaoki TAJIMA
NeoNeo Classicism
2021/11/12 -2021/11/28
gallery UG Tennoz
Kunihiko NOHARATakaoki TAJIMAOsamu WATANABEJunko ASANOHitomi OSHIMANaoki NOMURA Naoki SHIMOYAMA Takaoki MIYAOKA
ART×ART KOBE
2021/10/21 -2021/10/25
Daimaru KOBE
Takaoki TAJIMA
Takaoki TAJIMA Solo Exhibition.
2021/10/09 -2021/10/30
GINZA TSUTAYA BOOKS
Kunihiko NOHARATakaoki TAJIMAOsamu WATANABETakayuki NIWAJunko ASANOMisako MAEGAKINaoki NOMURA Ikki MIYAKE Kentaro MATSUKUMA
TANAGOKORO TEN
2021/08/19 -2021/09/15
SIXIÈME GINZA / GINZA SIX 2F
Kunihiko NOHARATakaoki TAJIMAOsamu WATANABEKazuyoshi HIRAMATSU Ryosuke KAWAHIRA Kana UCHIDA
Precious Time
2021/07/18 -2021/08/01
+ART GALLERY Shibuya Scramble Square
Kunihiko NOHARATakaoki TAJIMATakayuki NIWATakashi ONISHI
Art @daimaru 7F
2021/05/26 -2021/06/01
Kyoto Daimaru
Kunihiko NOHARATakaoki TAJIMATakashi ONISHI Yurika ISHIYAMA
ART ART KOBE
2021/05/13 -2021/05/17
Daimaru Kobe Store 9F Event Hall
Kunihiko NOHARATakaoki TAJIMAMika CHIBAOsamu WATANABETakayuki NIWATakashi ONISHI Ikki MIYAKE Hiroshi MORI Gensho SUGAWARA Yohei YASHIMA HK Yu Chan Hokuto ICHIBAYASHI Naoki SHIMOYAMA Takami MIYAOKA Keitoku TOIZUMI
KIRINJI
2020/12/11 -2020/12/26
gallery UG Tennoz
Takaoki TAJIMA
ART ART KOBE
2020/09/30 -2020/10/06
Daimaru Kobe Store ,Hyogo
Kunihiko NOHARATakaoki TAJIMAMika CHIBANami OKADATakayuki NIWAJunko ASANOKazuyoshi HIRAMATSUTomoko WADAMikako TAKAHASHIMisako MAEGAKIGekko NUMATANobuko NUMANO
“spring has come” ARTcolours Exhibition
2020/03/24 -2020/06/30
Park Hotel Tokyo
Kunihiko NOHARATakaoki TAJIMANami OKADA
VOLTA NY
2020/03/04 -2020/03/08
Metropolitan West, NY