Norio Taniguchi captured the Grand Prize in the 13th “1_WALL” Graphics Exhibition competition (2015) for his works etched in the blocks traditionally used in making woodblock prints, his motifs inspired by old historic ruins, ancient wall paintings, or at times his own imaginings. His prize-winning works were highly acclaimed for the way they evoke role-playing video games, his themes only a fine line away from seeming outdated but actually well suited to current times.

Today Taniguchi’s creative themes are tales he says others have forgotten and that only he now knows. His works, which mix together motifs of all times and places conceived from folklore and rituals found worldwide, are imbued simultaneously with feelings of nostalgia and with new scenes of a kind never seen before. The subjects he depicts with fine lines – whether leopards, snakes, or angels – have no apparent relationship to one another, leaving room for all manner of interpretations and stirring the imagination of the viewer. “So long as I can create works true to myself, it doesn’t matter what materials or supports I use,” he says. Taniguchi thus chooses whatever method suits the image he is seeking in a particular work, whether it be oil paints, watercolor, drawing, print or whatever. In the free and dignified lines common to all his works we can see how Taniguchi masterfully employs a wealth of different methods, enjoying himself all the while.

This exhibition will feature Taniguchi’s new prints as well as his oil paintings and drawings. We eagerly invite visitors to come and see how Taniguchi has developed in the year since he won his Grand Prize.