Throwing yarn into cosmic space.

Taku Anekawa’s exhibition vol.1 mixed media will be presented at Gallery ef in Tokyo from September 26th, 2008.

© Taku Anekawa / phil co., ltd.

Taku Anekawa is an artist who works with yarn. He makes graphic art by hand drawing or silkscreening onto canvas and then embroiders over the image with yarn. His embroidery is intuitive, unlike traditional embroidery, his Yarn is entangled and weaves in and out of the canvas. He expresses impulses from deep within his mind through the embroidered yarn. Anekawa aims to search for the very nature of the existence of the yarn itself.

© Taku Anekawa / phil co., ltd.

Yarn is a very familiar material to all of us and is used for everyday purposes: sewing cloth, embroidering, and tying. Anekawa questions whether the true fascination of yarn has been revealed. He is attracted to the very existence of yarn itself and he believes that there must be a way of expression that uncovers the inherent nature of yarn.

© Taku Anekawa / phil co., ltd.

Since Anekawa started to create yarn art works in 2004, he has regularly presented his work to the public. Holding solo exhibitions and participating in group exhibitions in Japan and overseas, he has also collaborated with fashion brands for live production performances, and held exhibitions at the brand’s shops. His work has been published in various magazines. And as a representative of a design company, Anekawa works on art direction, planning and illustration. He is also highly valued as a digital content creator.
Why does Anekawa work both in art and design?

“Basically I love to produce things. Design works are produced by a team. In the production process, we discuss and communicate with team members. On the other hand, artwork is more personal. I can make something to express what I want. I am a kind of greedy person, so it is difficult to keep my balance unless I do both of them.”

© Taku Anekawa / phil co., ltd.

For the coming exhibition, Anekawa chose Gallery ef, a renovated storehouse made of clay that was built at the end of Edo era. He has held many exhibitions in modern white galleries, but at Gallery ef a new challenge awaits Anekawa, to face the “darkness” of Gallery ef.
What does he feel about the space of a storehouse that has stood for 140 years?

“The Storehouse has characteristic gravity. Like a black hole, jet-black darkness takes in everything. I feel scared and attracted to this darkness. I want to set yarn free in this dark extraordinary space. The sense is like throwing yarn into cosmic space.”

© Taku Anekawa / phil co., ltd.

This exhibition will be held in two parts. The first part, from 26th of September to 13 th of October, will consist of an installation using yarn. The second part, from 31st of October to 30th of November, will consist of works on canvas.
In the Autumn of 2008, Taku Anekawa, an artist who has continued to explore the fascination of yarn, will confront “darkness” and hold two exhibitions that will surely reveal the creativity of this unique artist.

Taku Anekawa vol.1 mixed media
Date: September 26th – October 13th, 2008
Place: Gallery ef
Address: 2-19-18 Kaminarimon, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Opening Hours: 12:00-21:00 (Last day till 19:00) Closed on Tuesday
Admission Free
Opening Reception: 19:00-21:00 September 25th, 2008
vol.2: October 31st – November 30th, 2008
In collaboration with: phil co.,ltd
Supported by: DMC / NANZUKA UNDERGROUND

Taku Anekawa: Taku Anekawa was born in Kobe city in 1970. During his college days he studied textile design and devoted himself to body expression, which led him to establish a performance company. After graduation Anekawa started to work at an interior design office. He designed spaces for commercial facilities and also launched a digital contents division. His digital works were highly acclaimed and he received a, “Sony Digital Entertainment Program 96 DEP BEST AWARD”. In 2001, Anekawa moved his base of activity to Tokyo and established a design company. The following year he stared working as an artist, and in 2005 he held his first exhibition of yarn art, “CORE COMPETENCE” (Gallery Speak For / Daikanyama, Tokyo). In 2006 Anekawa held a solo exhibition “hidden curriculum” that traveled to Tokyo, Sapporo, New York City and Osaka. In 2007, Taku Anekawa participated in a joint exhibition by Japanese and Chinese artists titled, “Yi Dong” at Palais Liechtenstein, Austria. He also collaborated with fashion brands such as AndA Homme and THE NORTH FACE. In 2008, Anekawa completed a new interior decoration art work using yarn at a hair salon, “GRANADA” in Osaka.

Text: Takeshi Yamaguchi