gallery UG Fukuoka is pleased to present a special exhibition featuring Takaoki TAJIMA.
Takaoki Tajima was born in Chiba. In 2000, he graduated from the Department of Sculpturing at Aichi University of the Arts. Born into a family of Buddhist sculptors spanning five generations, Tajima has been familiar with Buddhist statues and sculptures from a young age. Through crossing paths with sculpting, painting and even language he expresses the fundamental question of “how the world appears to us”. At the heart of his artistic expression is a humorous mindset where absurdity and sorrow can turn into laughter. He has gained widespread acclaim and overwhelming support not only in Japan but also in the international art scene particularly across Asia.

This exhibition will feature new drawings shown in Fukuoka for the first time, ahead of the solo exhibition at gallery UG Tennoz along with the doodle series. These artworks while humorous also carry a mysterious sense of tension that piques the imagination of the viewer.

Technique and memory, lightness and depth, laughter and sorrow. We invite you to experience Tajima’s diverse artistic expression that moves freely between these contrasting elements.

In Collaboration with Kotona Art Direction