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EXHIBITION

The Second Stage at GG #51

Masatoshi Tabuchi Exhibition: “Choice”

  • DATES : Tue. October 20 - Fri. November 20, 2020
  • HOURS : 11:00a.m.-7:00p.m.
  • Closed Sundays and holidays. Admission free.
    * Advance reservations are no longer required. Visitors are welcome to come to the gallery at their convenience.

    On entering the gallery, all visitors are requested to submit to a temperature check, sanitize their hands, wear a face mask, and maintain a social distance of 2 meters. Persons with any of the following symptoms are requested to refrain from visiting: fever (above 37.5℃), cough, sore throat, general fatigue, etc. The number of visitors allowed at one time may be limited to prevent overcrowding.

The 51st exhibition in “The Second Stage at GG” series will be “Choice,” a show of works by Masatoshi Tabuchi. This series spotlights artists who were at some time featured in one of the various open competitions held by Guardian Garden to support aspiring young talents. “The Second Stage at GG” exhibitions provide a look at what those promising artists have subsequently accomplished in their chosen fields.

Masatoshi Tabuchi was selected as a finalist in the 11th “1_WALL” Graphics Exhibition in 2014 for his outsize depictions of striped shirts. Today he has an active career as an illustrator, creating illustrations for books, packaging, CD covers, etc.

“Choice” will focus on Tabuchi’s ongoing series of minutely detailed depictions of everyday items, drawn in blue pencil or paint. He observes things all around us – a clothes drying rack neatly folded and packaged, fruit in a see-thru container – and transforms them into attractively depicted forms. His illustrations, created exclusively in blue, give an impression of extremely fine detail when viewed from a distance; but in their details we find stray pencil or brush strokes that make us realize that Tabuchi actually infuses an element of random occurrence is his drawings. In addition to his works done on different backings – not only white paper but also cardboard and acrylic board – the exhibition will feature Tabuchi’s video dealing with movements of a hanger changing shapes. Visitors are sure to enjoy what they discover on display.

During the exhibition’s run, Tabuchi will participate in two talk events: one with artist Kohei Sekigawa, and the other with graphic designer Hirokazu Matsuda, who regularly collaborates with Tabuchi as half of the unit “Hekichi.” Both events will be livestreamed.

Masatoshi Tabuchi

Born in 1983.

Message from the Artist

When I look at something with the intention of drawing a picture of it, the object is called a “motif.” There are countless motifs in everyday life, and I’m often captivated by what I see. At the supermarket, I noticed grapes packaged in a plastic container. The container’s form, simultaneously protecting the fruit and adding to its visual appeal, together with the grapes visible through the plastic, gave me a sense of their juicy ripeness. The clothes drying rack I found at a home improvement store was folded flat and held in place by rubber bands. Its two-dimensional appearance differed from how it looks when hung, and already it looked to me like a blueprint. The motifs I’ve selected all have something about them that visually caught my eye. I draw them to probe deeper into what makes them so attractive.

Organizer:Guardian Garden