A digital diary of today comes to life with Japanese Artist Takuma Tanaka

By Steven Mitchell

ADigital Diary of Today Comes to Life with Japanese Artist

Takuma Tanaka by Steven Mitchell

Tapping into the societal trend of the newfound emergence of artistic self-reflection and investigating contemporary personal stories of his subjects while rejecting modern notions of technology in his artwork Takuma Tanaka has produced a new digital diary for the ages.

With his inspiration from the Warhol Diaries and Jean Michel Basquiat, Tanaka journaled daily entries to bring his audience further into his creative process and artistic adventures while traveling the United States. The artist appears often on local Japanese TV, telling stories of his daily activities in today's profound digital age. Tanaka, like many artists, continues to post daily on social media outlets and disperses personal details on digital platforms for the world to see immediately rather than execute a traditional written artist's diary. Bringing Art x Technology to the forefront of information speed and access, profound questions arise. Will this information ever be archived in future libraries for future generations or will forever be a digital footprint online? Time will only tell!

Takuma embraces newfound stories and experiences and takes one on his insightful journey of the last few months of arriving in the United States. While traveling in New York and Miami, he encounters new friends and strangers with the destination intended to arrive at his first group art exhibition in the United States at the Wall Art Gallery in Wynwood, Miami.

A new 4000-square-foot gallery of the Wall Art Gallery in the heart of Wynwood is designed for site-specific installations, art exhibitions, artist commissions, and more. The Wall Art Gallery approach engages the global art community bringing international artists, global creative leaders, and emerging and established voices to the forefront. Integrating a multi-faceted approach, the gallery provides a fresh view of today's latest global contemporary art studios' practices and artwork.

The inaugural exhibition HOLOGRAM: The Whole Story, curated by Rachel D. Vancelette, looks at how holograms replicate how humans interpret light to perceive the world in three dimensions. The Greek translation 'HOLO' meaning "whole," and 'GRAM' which translates to "story" inspired a curatorial presentation focusing on 'The Whole Story.' The exhibition taps into the current conversations in art studios today on progression and contemplation. The show, accompanied by a catalog, investigates experimental avenues, new and old technology and contemporary art practices taking a deeper dive into the lesser-known aspects and forward-thinking processes of artists' studios today.

The exhibition is on view now until February 13th at The Wall Art Gallery 50 NW 27th Street, Wynwood Miami, Groundfloor. | https:// www.thewall-artgallery.com

November 19 | "Graffiti experience after MIKE171's exhibition"

"I went to see a graffiti artist I knew who was having an exhibition. I was shocked because I learned about a world that can't be summed up in one word: 'graffiti'. On my way home, I saw a wall with graffiti art all over it, so I stick some paper to the wall and drew on it, then someone came up to me and said he wanted one.

I gave him one of the three sheets I had drawn and left others. When I crossed the road, another person peeled it off and threw it into the bin. I felt happy that they had taken an action on my drawings rather than sad that they had thrown it away." -Takuma

December 1st | "Sotheby's Institute x Miami: Alumni Cocktail Party"

"I went to The Wall Art Gallery, where my group exhibition was being held. People from Sotherby's institute of art were invited to this party, where I have connected with the artists and art professionals. One of them was a graduate of the school. He is fluent in Japanese. According to him, he goes to Japan at least once a year. I asked him a reckless question, "If you compare my artworks to okonomiyaki*, is it Osaka-style Or Hiroshima-style?". He answered "Hiroshima style! Because this painting (it is using collage and various materials) has so many layers!".

I was admired at his nimble reply. Even Japanese pepole would not be able to do that. I was surprised at his quick-witted reply, which even a Japanese would not have thought of.

*Okonomiyaki: Japanese savory pancakes. Osaka-style mixes all the ingredients at once and cooks the dough. Hiroshima-style layers the various ingredients on thin dough (never mixes them)." -Takuma

December 2nd | "Private Opening Celebration"

"In the evening, a reception party was held to artist, gallery staff and others. Many collectors attended more than yesterday.

My largest artwork stood out in the room, and it was a combination of various materials, many people asked me about the true theme, background story and the materials . All the participants have enjoyed the delicious catered meal. Wynwood area was very busy and it was such a lively evening that it was difficult to catch an Uber." -Takuma

Artist John Little

AMERICAN, 1907-1984

Resolution. Oil on canvas, 1957. 50 1/2 x 82 3/4 inches. Signed, titled and dated verso. Provenance: The Estate of the Artist.

Exhibited: Bertha Schaefer, New York, 1958 (label verso). American Federation of Arts Exhibition, Nov. 1959

Artist Maja Dlugolecki

Maja Dlugolecki (b. 1992) is a polish-american painter based in los angeles. with a background in design and music, her work draws from experiences and impressions in her own life through an abstract lens. maja’s intuitive paintings feature layered washes and a variety of textures, creating movement and emotion through bold pigments. with an ever evolving palette and method, maja enjoys experimenting and challenging new ways of expression through technique. each piece reflects a specific personal moment in time. in lieu of a daily journal, maja assigns past recorded thoughts to her titles. she feels this process best reflects the emotional elusivity of a moment and how time to reflect provides a clearer understanding of the self.

As My Mind Wanders #2