Keisuke Tanaka
Keisuke Tanaka
Born in Chiba, 1976. Lives and works in Hiroshima.
In 2004, he graduated with a master’s degree from Tokyo University of the Arts, the Department of Sculpture. From carving a miniature landscape of forest out of a single tree to coloring with acrylic paint, Tanaka’s artistic creation is consistently engaged with lumber as a fundamental material. The scale of his artwork varies and is often site-specific as his recent presentation “Utopia dungeon” at Setouchi Triennale showcasing a Japanese house turned into woodland with his intricate carvings on the various spots on the pillar, floor, and walls. The material, once sawed by hands and his detailed work with the sprouts of countless trees and even clouds emerge a complete circulation of life. The topographic scenery in his work is inspired by the Japanese mountains with equally planted cedar trees, and sometimes a panoramic installation hides a trivial view with bridges and a cemetery. Overlooking lively sites from above, Tanaka’s work becomes a guiding light for viewers to immerse into the life journey and ultimately encounter each one for themselves.
The previous solo exhibitions include “SEIZAN” (YAMAMOTO GENDAI, 2008), “KEI KEI” (YAMAMOTO GENDAI, 2012), and “Looking Out” (POLA MUSEUM ANNEX, Tokyo, 2014) in addition to the many group exhibitions “Sculpture Times #1 From NUDE” (The Ueno Royal Museum, Tokyo, 2011), “Parallel Far East World” (A4 Contemporary Arts Center, Chengdu, 2013), “CURRENTS” (THE JAMES CHRISTIE ROOM, Hong Kong, 2014), “Circulate” (Contemporary Art Biennale of Fukushima, Fukushima, 2014), and “Setouchi Triennale” (Shodoshima, Kagawa, 2019).
Collection
GREEN (nursing home), Akita, Japan
Takahashi Ryutaro Collection