Keiichi Tanaami: Adventures in Memory

The National Art Center, Tokyo, is pleased to present the first major retrospective showcasing the internationally acclaimed artist Keiichi Tanaami (b. 1936) and a related symposium.

Exhibition highlights
Works intimately intertwined with Japan’s postwar cultural history
The works on view include ORDER MADE!! Series(1965), which drew inspiration from Andy Warhol and was one of the first examples of Japanese Pop Art; NO MORE WAR Series(1967), a finalist in an anti-Vietnam War poster contest held by the American magazine Avant Garde; and the animation Good-by Marilyn (1971), created using collage techniques for the TV program 11PM. These and many other works illuminate the counterculture that blossomed in Japan after World War II.

An ever-flowing fountain of memories
In recent years, Tanaami has produced numerous works with themes drawn from his own memories and dreams. Childhood experiences in wartime, and a severe and life-threatening illness, have been significant catalysts for his focus on memories magnified in the mind, reflecting the idea that “people unconsciously alter their own memories as they go through life.” Titled Adventures in Memory, the exhibition features new works exhibited for the first time, as well as dream diaries which Tanaami has kept sporadically since the 1970s, drawings, and related installations, revealing the inexhaustible wellspring of his creativity.

An astounding array of collaborations
Throughout his long career, Tanaami has worked for a remarkable range of clients and with an extraordinary lineup of collaborators. These have included fashion brands, including Mary Quant, adidas, JUNYA WATANABE, and Ground Y, and musicians, such as GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE, Aki Yashiro, and RADWIMPS. He has also worked with iconic characters like Ultraman and joined forces with the late manga artist Fujio Akatsuka, with whom he had a friendship. The exhibition highlights Tanaami’s achievements as a designer, showing his deep commitment to collaboration since the earliest days of his career, as well as his approach to producing new works through synergies generated by partnerships.

Related symposium
To coincide with the grand opening of Keiichi Tanaami’s first major retrospective exhibition, “Keiichi Tanaami: Adventures in Memory,” a symposium will be held with international professionals who have witnessed and studied Tanaami’s creative journey over the past 60 years.

The panelists include Hiroko Ikegami, pop art specialist and art historian, Professor at The Graduate School of Humanities, Osaka University; Tabaimo, artist and a former student of Tanaami’s at Kyoto University of Art and Design; Mariko Asabuki, novelist, who has published a short story about Tanaami this summer; and Julian Ross, Japanese experimental film researcher and assistant professor at Leiden University participating via on-line.

Date: Saturday, September 14, 2024
Time: 2–5pm (doors open at 1:30pm)

Venue: Auditorium, 3rd floor, The National Art Center, Tokyo

Free admission for Keiichi Tanaami exhibition ticket holders.

Organized by The National Art Center, Tokyo; Japan Arts Council; Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan.