Keiichi Tanaami
Artist Keiichi Tanaami has been a leading figure in the creative world for over half a century. Between 2020 and 2024, he collaborated with contemporary carvers and printers to produce five woodcut prints.
The psychedelic modern ukiyo-e, created using traditional woodcut printing techniques, is a true testament to Keiichi Tanaami's ability to effortlessly bridge the gap between high art and pop culture. Contemporary artisans have taken on the challenge of recreating the vivid world of Tanaami, where dreams and memories collide in a riot of colors. Welcome to the new "floating world" of Keiichi Tanaami, where Eros and Thanatos intertwine.
2024.08.30
Release of Three New Woodcut Prints by Keiichi Tanaami
We are pleased to announce the release of 3 original woodcut prints by the late artist Keiichi Tanaami, who passed away on August 9th. These 3 pieces were specially drawn by Mr. Tanaami for his large-scale retrospective "Keiichi Tanaami: Adventures in Memory," which is currently being held. The new works were completed under his supervision before his passing. They are displayed at the exhibition venue at the National Art Center, Tokyo, alongside two of his earlier works. We invite you to come and see them.
List
彫ーCarving process
Faithfully carving out each intricate line
One unique feature of the works of Keiichi Tanaami is an exquisite intricacy suggestive of a mandala, a geometric figure representing the universe in Esoteric Buddhism. The carver puts all his focus on the point of a sharp knife and translates the intensity onto the Japanese mountain cherry woodblock.
摺ーPrinting process
Following a long tradition to explore the colors of NOW
Throughout his long career utilizing various modes of expression, the unique color palette has been a constant in the works of Keiichi Tanaami. Although it was well suited to the brilliant colors of traditional woodcut prints, expressing the radiance and a certain venomous quality of the colors was a new challenge for the printer.
Artist Profile
<p>Keiichi Tanaami (1936-2024)</p>
Keiichi Tanaami was born in Tokyo in 1936 and graduated from Musashino Art University. He has been active as a graphic designer, filmmaker, and artist since the 1960s, never heeding the boundaries of mediums or genres but instead aggressively traversing them through his work. The history and trajectory of his practice spanning well over half a century have garnered tremendous support from younger generations of artists around the world, as he is viewed as a new figure of the artist in the 21st century. In 2019, Tanaami presented his collaboration with adidas Originals “Adicolor x Tanaami.” In addition, with his works being on permanent exhibit in the Museum of Modern Art New York (MoMA) that celebrated its renewal opening, he continues to receive one and only acclaim as an artist who represents postwar Japan.
Furthermore, renowned museums around the world such as The Art Institute of Chicago (USA) and the National Portrait Gallery (USA) in recent years have newly welcomed Tanaami’s works to their collections. Recent exhibitions: “International Pop” (Walker Art Center, Dallas Museum of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, USA, 2015-2016), “The World Goes Pop” (Tate Modern, London, 2015), “Tokyo Pop Underground” (Jeffery Deitch, NY & LA, 2019) and more.
[Interview with Keiichi Tanaami]
Intricately Drawn Lines by Hokusai, Beams of Light from Childhood Memories
