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.
Takaoki TAJIMA
Takaoki TAJIMA Solo Exhibition.
2021/10/09 -2021/10/30
GINZA TSUTAYA BOOKSKunihiko NOHARATakaoki TAJIMAOsamu WATANABEJunko ASANOHitomi OSHIMANaoki NOMURA Naoki SHIMOYAMA Takaoki MIYAOKA
ART×ART KOBE
2021/10/21 -2021/10/25
Daimaru KOBETakaoki TAJIMAI Chao Wang Masumi AONO Jin ARAKAWA Aya IGETA Joe ISANAKO Megumi ISHIBASHI Yurika ISHIYAMA Takanori IMAI Sayaka URABE Arata OHASHI Mari OHIRA Yasuhito KAWASAKI Mitsuaki TACHIBANA Yuta NISHIURA Yurino YANAI Sanae YANAGI
TANAGOKORO TEN
2019/06/22 -2019/06/29
Takaoki TAJIMA
NeoNeo Classicism
2021/11/12 -2021/11/28
Kunihiko NOHARATakaoki TAJIMATakayuki NIWATakashi ONISHI
Art @daimaru 7F
2021/05/26 -2021/06/01
Kyoto DaimaruKunihiko 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
Kunihiko NOHARATakaoki TAJIMATakashi ONISHI Yurika ISHIYAMA
ART ART KOBE
2021/05/13 -2021/05/17
Daimaru Kobe Store 9F Event HallKunihiko NOHARATakaoki TAJIMAOsamu WATANABEKazuyoshi HIRAMATSU Ryosuke KAWAHIRA Kana UCHIDA
Precious Time
2021/07/18 -2021/08/01
+ART GALLERY Shibuya Scramble SquareKunihiko NOHARATakaoki TAJIMAOsamu WATANABETakayuki NIWAJunko ASANOMisako MAEGAKINaoki NOMURA Ikki MIYAKE Kentaro MATSUKUMA
TANAGOKORO TEN
2021/08/19 -2021/09/15
SIXIÈME GINZA / GINZA SIX 2FKunihiko NOHARATakaoki TAJIMAMika CHIBANami OKADA
VOLTA NY
2020/03/04 -2020/03/08
Metropolitan West, NYKunihiko 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 TokyoTakaoki TAJIMA
ART ART KOBE
2020/09/30 -2020/10/06
Daimaru Kobe Store ,Hyogo