TAKASHI HINODA “HANDS AND VISIONAMUSEMENT”

HAPPENINGText: Amelia Ijiri

Takashi Hinoda is a Japanese modern and contemporary sculptor whose ceramic works are known for their anime-like flat images in vibrant colors and freehand-style shapes. Matthew Larking of The Japan Times states, “His chimerical works rank among the best ceramic-based contemporary art currently being produced in Japan.”

Photo: Kazuo Fukunaga

The winter exhibition at imura art gallery in Kyoto, “Hands and Visionamusement” hopes to introduce the concept of “Shushikikeigaku,” a term that Hinoda invented to capture visual art’s ability to transcend the art/crafts framework.

The artist coined the term because he thought the current language “bijutsu” (fine art) “a-to” adopted from the English word “art” lacked a feel for Japanese aesthetics. “Shushikikeigaku,” written using the Japanese characters for ‘hand,’ ‘color,’ ‘shape,’ and ‘amusement” emphasizes manual and physical input that produces visual enjoyment. This entertainment happens as his odd characters appear to gaze back with their one or two deep-set ceramic eyes, transcending the materiality of clay, and appearing to spring to life against the black and white graphics on the gallery walls.

Born in 1968, Hinoda grew up in the generation that blended the real world with the fictional worlds of anime and manga. His pop comical, humorous creations often contain a satirical comment on modern society’s anxieties. Hands and Visionamusement is a comment on the importance of manual work in a world of increasing time spent in online environs. Hinoda’s visually appealing, free-form sculptures resonate across genders, national identities, and ages to refresh our eyes and souls, questioning our real-world perceptions, while his miniature creations function as knee-high mascots announcing the word and concept of “Hands and Visionamusement.”

Takashi Hinoda “Hands and Visionamusement”
Date: 7th December, 2019 ー 25th January, 2020
Hours: 12:00 – 18:00
Closed on Sundays, Mondays and National Holidays
Place: imura art gallery Kyoto
Address: 31 Kawabata-higashi Marutamachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto
Tel: 075-761-7372
http://www.imuraart.com

Text: Amelia Ijiri
Photos: Kazuo Fukunaga

[Help wanted] Inviting volunteer staff / pro bono for contribution and translation. Please e-mail to us.
MoMA STORE