YASUFUMI TAKAHASHI ART WORKS
Biography
Education
1987-89 Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Art de Paris
1984-86 Graduate School of The University of Tsukuba / M.F.A.
Artists' Residencies
2005 Chashama AREA Visual Arts Studio Award, New York
1997 Stone Quarry Hill Art Park, Cazenovia, New York
1996 Funded Residency at Sculpture Space, Utica, New York
1995,96,'02 Artist-in-Residence Program, Est-Nord-Est Sculpture Center, Quebec, Canada
1994 Artist-in-Residence Program, TAMA Art Studio, Hinode, Tokyo
1988-89 Residency at Cite International des Arts, Paris
Awards and Grants
2004 Japanese Goverment Overseas Study Programme for Artists
2002 1st Utsunomiya Award for emerging artists from Utsunomiya City
2001 Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant
2000 The Fine Work Prize at 29th Contemporary Art Exhibition of Japan
1997 Cultural Encouragement Award from Tochigi Cultural Association
1992 Art Support Program Grant of Heineken ASP, Tokyo
1987-89 Scholarship Program Grant of French Goverment
1982,83,85 The Encouragement Prize at Tochigi Art Festival
Assistance
1990 Assistant of ANDY GOLDSWORTHY
Solo Exhibitions
2008 "Layer Work" Shibukawa City Museum, Gunma
2007 "Tim Layer 07" ACCELL, Tochigi
2006 "The Matrix of Space" ISE Cultural Foundation, New York (Supported by Nomura Cultural Foundation)
"3D body system" INAX gallery 2, Tokyo
2004 "The Matrix of Space" Utsunomiya Museum of Art, Tochigi, Japan
2002 "Graft -Inbanuma-" Metal Art Museum HIKARINOTANI, Chiba,Japan
2001 "Graft" Gallery in the Blue, Utsunomiya,Japan
2000 "Hot Bed 2000" Gallery Fresca, Tokyo
1999 "Hot Bed 1999" Gallery in the Blue, Utsunomiya,Japan
1998 "Injurious Inertia" Southern Alberta Art Gallery, Lethbridge, Albert, Canada
1997 "Pages" Galerie deux, Tokyo
1996 "Red Reflection" Gallery in the Blue, Utsunomiya , Gallery VA , Tokyo
"Red Reflection" The New Gallery, Calgary, Mercer Union, Toronto
(Supported by Japan Canada Fund, Japan Foundation)
"Injurious Inertia" La Chambre Blanche, Quebec , Deleon White Gallery, Toronto
1995 "Red Reflection" SKOL Art Center, Montreal
1994 "Vein" Plus Minus Gallery, Tokyo
"Copper Forest" Plaza Gallery, Tokyo
1993 "Memory of Forest" Gallery Nikko, Tokyo
"Copper Forest" Kaneko Art Gallery, Tokyo
1992 Plaza Gallery Tokyo (Supported by Hineken ASP)
1991 Galerie Maison des Beaux-Arts, Paris
"Linkage" Kaneko Art G1, Tokyo
1990 "Mass and Void" Gallery Ciel, Utsunomiya
1989 "Metamorphose" Cite International des Arts, Paris
Selected Group Exhibitions
2008 “WHITHER GEOMETRY” Radford Univ. Art Museum, Virginia, U.S.A.
2007 “The Present Art Scene of Utsunomiya” Utsunomiya Museum of Art, Tochigi
2006 “Art KAWASAKI” JFE , Kawasaki
2005 “Drawing and three Dimensions” Gallery Onetwentyeight, New York
“8th Annual Williamsburg Salon Part 3” Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, New York
2003 "The Present Art Scene of Utsunomiya" Utsunomiya Museum of Art, Tochigi, Japan
2002 "Sculptor of Eastern Japan" Tokyo Station Gallery, Tokyo
2001 "Epiphany -Art Village Project in KANUMA-" Old Factory of Empire Textile Company, Tochigi
"Door to Millennium" Tochigi Prefectural Museum of Fine Art, Tochigi
2000 "Hiroshima Art Document 2000" Old Army Clothing Depot, Hiroshima
"29th Contemporary Art Exhibition of Japan" Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum/Kyoto Municipal Art Museum
1999 "28th Contemporary Art Exhibition of Japan" Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum/Kyoto Municipal Art Museum
1998 "Art/Ecosystem" Utsunomiya Museum of Art, Tochigi, Japan
1997 "Effet d' utilitaire" Le Centre d' Exposition de Baie-St-Paul, Quebec
"The Present Art Scene of Utsunomiya" Utsunomiya Museum ofArt,Tochigi, Japan
"INTER/CHANGE" Stone Quarry Hill Art Park, Cazenovia, New York
1992 "4th Tokyo Outdoor Exhibition of Contemporary Sculpture" Kinuta Park, Tokyo
1991 "Jan Hoet in Tsurugi" Ishikawa, Japan
"Jan Hoet Eyes" Mitsubishi Artium Gallery, Fukuoka
1990 "Plastic Arts Today" Tochigi Prefectural Museum of Fine Art, Tochigi
"18th International Art Exhibition of Japan" Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
Kyoto Municipal Art Museum
"2nd Contemporary Japanese Wood Sculpture Festival" Seki Municipal Cultural Center, Gifu
1989 "Artistes du Monde" Cite International des Arts, Paris
"Sculpture Symposium in Antwerp" Belgium
1998 "Exhibition of French Goverment Scholarship recipients" Gallery Bernanos, Paris
"Young Artists in Rochefort" France
"International Sculpture Symposium in Les Avins" Belgium
"Salon des Realites Nouvelles" Grand Palais, Paris
1987 "Japanese and Korean Sculptor" South Korea Cultural Center, Tokyo
1986 "Japanese and Korean Sculptor" Seoul Gallery, Seoul
Public Collections
National Museum of Quebec, Canada
Polomy Community Park, France
Les Avins Sculpture Park, Belgium
Antwerp Mecenat, Belgium
Union Street Park, Japan
Japan Energy, Japan
Tochigi Prefectural Oyama High School, Japan
Watarase Valley Railroad, Tsudo Station, Japan
Commissions
2003 Union Street Park, Utsunomiya. Sponsored by Union Street Guild
1990 Tsudo Station, Ashio, Japan. Sponsored by Watarase Valley Railroad
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Catalogues
Tougo Noriko, Takahashi Yasufumi, Gallery Nikkou, Tokyo, 1993
Kaname Nakamura, Vein, Plus Minus Gallery,Tkyo, 1994
John K.Grande, Red Reflection, Centre des arts actuels SKOL, Montreal, 1995
Jacqueline Bouchard, Yasufumi TAKAHASHI: FUNESTE INERTIE, lA CHAMBRE BLANCHE, 1996
Sarah Quinton, Red Reflection, Mercer Union, Toronto, 1996
Michel Saulnier, Effet d'Utilitaire, Le Centre d'Exposition de Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec, 1997, pp.18-19
Gina Murtagh, INTER/CHANGE, Stone Quarry Hill Art Park, New York, 1997
John K.Grande, Red Reflection:Yasufumi Takahashi, Intertwining, Black Rose Books, 1998, pp.152-158
Tani Arata, Art/Ecosystem:The Contemporary Japanese Art Scene, Utsunomiya Museum of Art, 1998
Joan Stebbins, YASUFUMI TAKAHASHI: INJURIOUS INERTIA, Southern Alberta Art Gallery, 1998
Tani Arata, 28th Contemporary Art Exhibition in Japan, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, 1999
Patric Mahon, Yasufumi Takahashi: DREAMING THE FAMILIAR, Southern Alberta Art Gallery, 1999
Itou Yukiko, Hiroshima Art Document 2000,
Yamamoto Kazuhiro, Sugiura Hiroya, EPIPHANY, Old Factory of Empire Textile Company, 2001
Franck Michel, Memento 3, Centre Est-Nord-Est, Quebec, 2002
Motoe Kunio, Tani Arata, Yasufumi Takahashi: The Matrix of Space, Utsunomiya Museum of Art, 2004
Reviews
Stephane Aquin, Art Sacre, VOIR, Montreal edition, 11.9.1995
Jennifer Couёlle, Une oeuvre sensible et fichtrement efficace, LE DEVOIR, 11.11.1995
Kenji Ishikawa, Look at Past, Present and Future, Mainichi Shinbun, 7.11.1996
Neilton Clarke, Sculptor has them seeing red, THE DAILY YOMIURI 7. 17. 1996
Midori Matsui, Review: Takahashi Yasufumi, BIJYUTSU TECHYO, 10.1996
Betty Ann Jorhdan, Red Sun carries memories of War, The Globe and Mail, 11.16. 1996
Dany Quine, Un message troublant dans une enveloppe glacee, LE SOLEIL, 10.19.1996
Marie Lachance, L'empire immobile, VOIR, Quebec Edition, 10.1996
Kyo Maclear, Curtain Drawn on Rising Suns, FUSE, 11.1. 1997, pp. 44-45
Manon Morin, Reflechir en rouge: Naitre et mourir, SKOL Livret de programmation 1995-96, pg.11-12. Kyo Maclear, Yasufumi Takahashi, ART ASIA PACIFIC, No.14, 1997, pg. 93.
Michel Bois, L'etoffe des Heros, VOIR Quebec Edition, 5.15.1997
Dany Quine, Du jeu et du symbole, LE SOLEIL, 6.7.1997, pg. 8.
Sherry Chayat, Sculpture for Changing Landscape, STARS, 7.20.1997.
Hiroyasu Daido, Pages, Syuukann Shinchyou, 11.20.1997, pg. 92.
Kay Itoi, Yasufumi Takahashi, ART news, January 1998, pp.144, 152.
Artists in Residency, BIJYUTU TECHYO, 3.1998, pp. 28-31.
Close up, BIJYUTU TECHYO, 1998, pg.187.
Masahiko Hougyoku, Art/Ecosystem, Nihon Keizai Shinbun, 8.19.1998.
Hiroyasu Daido, Hot Bed, Syuukann Shinchyou, 8.27.1998, pg. 92.
Atsuo Sugawara, Art/Ecosystem, Yomiuru Shinbun, 8.28.1998.
Osamu Kabasawa, Hiroshima Art Document 2000, Shimotsuke Shinbun, 8.6.2000.
Mako Morita, Hiroshima Art Document 2000, Mainichi Shinbun, 8.15.2000.
Makoto Chyousokabe, Hiroshima Art Document 2000, 8.15.2000.
Manabu Uekusa, Beauty From Here, Shinano Mainichi Shinbun, 9.7.2004
STATEMENT
Obscure and Uncertain Extent of Boundary
"I am a see-er with moving body; my body holds things in a circle around itself; it is situated at the center of the world. Things are a prolongation of the body; the world is made of the very stuff of the body. Moreover, my moving body makes a difference in the visible world, being a part of it; that is why I can steer it through the visible. I do not appropriate what I see; I am caught in the fabric of the world."
M. Merleau-Ponty, Eye and Mind
In 1995, I had quit my studio for home in Utsunomiya before I participated in the Artist in Residence in Canada. At that time I decided to quit all the materials and techniques that I had used before then. At home, I repeatedly asked myself the same question: "Who am I? Where did I come from? Where will I go?" Suddenly in the repetition, the clothes which I had worn in my childhood drew my attention. Surprisingly enough, the underwear and even the diapers which I had worn in my babyhood were all left intact. Since I sought a concept for the next work in the ambiguous and mutually dependent relationship between the body and the world, I felt in my bones that the clothes which were situated at their boundary revealed the possibility of sculpture.
The clothes which are part of the world become part of the body through being worn. I thought that the clothes which are situated at the boundary between the body and the world would be fit as a concept to represent the obscure boundary and uncertain extent among individuals in our time; I aimed to realize such sculpture, not as the objective figure or the interpretation of the world supported by a central axis, quantitative and self-contained, but as the intermediary which does not have a hierarchical system within itself but has a pattern like fabric, which shows every part to be equal.
I produced "Red Reflection 1ﾓ which was my first installation made of old clothes in that summer of 1995. I made it by staining my underwear red; also that of my family, as well as used clothes which I had gathered in Canada, and sewing them up. "Graf '04" is my latest old-clothes-made installation which has been produced under the same concept. Every time I produced a new installation, the number of old clothes used in it increased. I have used about 6,000 old clothes including the underwear of my newborn baby for this work.
I newly found that the world exists not only outside the body, but also inside it, through the birth of my child. I produced "Passage '04", "The Matrix of Space I-IV" and others by considering how to disclose the world inside the body. I think that the clothes are what represent the patterns of the body. I produced the new installation directly molded from a body.
If we trace the descent of wombs which represent the matrices of bodies from children to mothers, mothers to grandmothers, and grandmothers to great-grandmothers, we will become aware that our bodies have the composite patterns formed through the innumerable and invisible matrices since Eve, the progenitor of the human race,.
Based on the interdependent relationship between a body and space, revealed by tracing time since the birth of human beings, I produced "Passage '04" and "The Matrix of Space I-IV". These installations become visible in the sight of beholders as they move with the figures of bodies latent in the fabric of space. They represent the temporal emergence of space.