Takahide Komatsu
Biography Graduated from Artist Course, Kyusyu Designer Gakuin, 2000. [Solo & Group Exhibition] Gallery Celeste, 2006 (Fukuoka, ’08)/ ART SHANGHAI 2006 (Shanghai)/ Caelum Gallery (New York Chelsea), Kobe Biennale Art Auction, 2007/ New Ages Contemporary Tezukauama Art Gallery (Osaka), 2008 This artist draws beautiful butterflies. The illusionary world is created by freely combining the background patterns seen in works of the Rimpa school, pure gold foil made in Kanazawa and detailed description using acrylic paint. He depicts ecosystems in great nature dynamically and delicately. His unique viewpoints and styles are persuasive since he lives with awe and admiration for all kinds of lives. Komatsu, who has always been an outdoor person and who likes collecting insects and observing nature, set up his atelier in Miyazaki where he was born. His artworks were featured in 2010 COP10 (Conference of the Parties) followed by the United Nations General Assembly held in 2011. Collected by The Wharf, Art Collection, Hong Kong.
2006 2007 2008 2009
ART SHANGHAI 2006 / Shanghai New Talent From Japan Caelum Gallery / New York Solo Exhibition TEZUKAYAMA GALLERY / Osaka Solo Exhibition Gallery PLOT / Tokyo Gallery Forty seven / London Korea International Art Fair 2009 / Seoul 2010 Art Fair Tokyo 2010 / Tokyo 2011 Solo Exhibition TEZUKAYAMA GALLERY / Osaka Art Fair Tokyo 2011 / Tokyo ART TAIPEI 2011 / Taipei Solo Exhibition Gallery Artlier / Fukuoka FINE ART ASIA 2011 / Hong Kong 2012 FINE ART ASIA 2012 / Hong Kong
2013 Solo Exhibition Mizoe Art Gallery / Fukuoka Asia Contemporary Art Show 2013 / Hong Kong 2014 Affordable Art Fair Singapore 2014 / Singapore Solo Exhibition Mizoe Art Gallery / Tokyo ART TAIPEI 2014 / Taipei 2015 Affordable Art Fair Brussels 2015 / Brussels NEW CITY ART FAIR NEW YORK 2015 / New York Art Fair Tokyo 2015 / Tokyo Affordable Art Fair Singapore 2015 / Singapore Solo Exhibition Mizoe Art Gallery / Fukuoka Art Expo Malaysia Plus 2015 / Kuala Lumpur FINE ART ASIA 2015 / Hong Kong +852 2525 4911 www.fabrik-gallery.com info@fabrik-gallery.com
Butterflies can often be seen sipping water in a group. Sometimes, they can be seen floating delicately atop a puddle, victims of circumstance. Butterflies fly to great heights in search of nectar, but often they encounter dangerous ground in search of water. This piece of artwork brings together sky and ground against a background of gold and water expressed in the Rimpa style.
"Homage to Kรถrin" 2015, 116.7 x 72.7 cm Acrylic, Gold Leaf on Canvas HK$ 51,000
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Foreign species of butterflies are given voice through Rimpa expression in this nostalgic scene. Many of these species were introduced to Japan in the Meiji period, therefore they were unknown to ancient Rimpa artists. This artwork portrays the transition of the Japanese ecosystem over time.
“Dancing Foreign Butterflies� 2015, 72.5 x 50 cm Acrylic, Gold Leaf on Canvas SOLD
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The butterflies depicted in this artwork are a foreign species which arrived in Japan during the Meiji era. Owing to their recent introduction into the Japanese ecosystem, these particular butterflies were not portrayed in ancient folding screens or paintings. This particular artwork represents the transition of an ecosystem.
“Colonies of Foreign Butterflies� 2015, 162 x 97 cm Acrylic, Gold Leaf on Canvas
Drawing from the Rimpa school of traditional Japanese painting, the style of the works are meant to recall ancient Japanese folding screens or sliding doors as well as fine paintings that were often found in ancient Japanese castles and residences.
HK$ 80,000
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The Luna moth is often seen in the mountains of Japan. During their brief life, these delicate creatures transform from caterpillar to moth, being drawn to the moonlight in search of a mate. This piece of artwork expresses the mutability of life; the gentle flapping and burning of a fragile life. The mixture of pale blue and pale green brings to mind celadon porcelain and balances well with the silver background reminiscent of Rimpa.
“Dancing Luna Moths� 2015, 162 x 97 cm Acrylic, Metallic Leaf on Danvas HK$ 80,000
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This piece captures the life force of insects as they dance around evening lamps and shimmer in the moonlight of a warm summer night. “I love to go insect-collecting and I always go to the mountains at night in the summer. I enjoy hearing insects flutter under the lamps outside; it's as beautiful as it is fleeting.”
“Insects Dancing at Night” 2015, 116.7 x 91 cm Acrylic, Metallic Leaf on Canvas HK$ 58,000
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A subtle grid of silver serves as the background for a flowing stream, teeming with nature. The artist often depicts various species of butterflies, native and foreign, to demonstrate how foreign species can impact the native ecosystem. Drawing from the Rimpa school, the stream is depicted in a stylized manner recalling the movement of Korin waves.
“Stream� 2016, 72.7 x 50 cm Acrylic, Metallic Leaf on Canvas HK$ 30,000 +852 2525 4911 www.fabrik-gallery.com info@fabrik-gallery.com
Moths are not so beloved by the Japanese people, but the artist feels that the image of dancing moths under a bright night sky is beautiful indeed. Like the moth, the artist himself prefers to paint at night, perhaps drawn to the serenity of a moonlit night.
“Dancing Moths� 2015, 72.7 x 50 cm Acrylic, Metallic Leaf on Canvas HK$ 30,000
+852 2525 4911 www.fabrik-gallery.com info@fabrik-gallery.com
In the Hane-kago series, the artist draws on the over 600 year old Japanese craft of basketry. The butterflies come together as if woven, creating a sense of mass in their unity. By using nature, the artist implies the aesthetic of "wabi-sabi", acceptance of imperfections and transience, of asymmetry and simplicity. The first in the series brings together all species, native and foreign.
"Hane-kago 1" 2015, 100 x 100 cm Acrylic on Canvas HK$ 58,000 +852 2525 4911 www.fabrik-gallery.com info@fabrik-gallery.com
In Hane-kago 2, the artist focuses on specific colors and species, in this case the Blue Triangle butterfly.
"Hane-kago 2" 2015, 100 x 100 cm Acrylic on Canvas HK$ 58,000 +852 2525 4911 www.fabrik-gallery.com info@fabrik-gallery.com
“Who designed these beautiful patterns? The composition and the motif are familiar to me since my childhood.� In Hane-kago 3, the artist depicts the butterfly "basket" absent of color. Perhaps a metaphor for the loss native species in Japan.
"Hane-kago 3" 2015, 100 x 100 cm Acrylic on Canvas HK$ 58,000 +852 2525 4911 www.fabrik-gallery.com info@fabrik-gallery.com
Butterflies have a habit of being drawn to shapes similar to themselves. They are drawn to their reflections in mirrors or in water, or even to clothing with a butterfly pattern. The tail fin of a goldfish can often resemble a butterfly gliding gently under the water's surface. The artist is an avid observer of these much-loved creatures.
“Butterfly-Goldfishes� 2015, 116.7 x 72.7 cm Acrylic, Silver Leaf on Canvas HK$ 51,000 +852 2525 4911 www.fabrik-gallery.com info@fabrik-gallery.com
This piece is an homage to “Summer and Autumn Plants” by Hoitsu Sakai (1761-1829), an artist of the later Rimpa school. The plants depicted in this artwork were brought to Japan during the Meiji era (1868-1912). Since childhood, the Tall Goldenrod has been one of the artist's favorite plants, but the aggressive spreading of this plant on his native Kyushu island has led him to have mixed feelings about the plant he once loved.
“Gregarious Foreign Plants” 2015, 116.7 x 72.7 cm Acrylic, Silver Leaf on Canvas HK$ 51,000 +852 2525 4911 www.fabrik-gallery.com info@fabrik-gallery.com
One of the artist's favorite hobbies is fishing and in this piece, the familiar carp swims along a celadon-colored stream. The artist uses this spectacular hue to recreate a simplified interpretation of the carp-filled streams of his youth. This is one of his favorites.
“Carp - Daces� 2015, 72.7 x 50 cm Acrylic on Canvas HK$ 30,000
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"Can little creatures who live in dirty water, purify it? I wonder." Drawing inspiration from observing the ebb and flow of nature, the artist depicts a contrast; the stark simplicity of the shore or the movement of a swirling stream. By using whirling curls and spirals to interpret flowing water, the artist pays direct homage to Master Ogata Korin.
“Kawa no Kani� 2016, 45.5 x 45.5 cm Acrylic on Canvas SOLD +852 2525 4911 www.fabrik-gallery.com info@fabrik-gallery.com
Medaka are a small fish commonly found in rice paddy fields or in little streams. Due to their bright hues, they have been a popular pet in Japan since 17th century.
“Medaka� 2016, 45.5 x 45.5 cm Acrylic on Canvas HK$ 13,500 +852 2525 4911 www.fabrik-gallery.com info@fabrik-gallery.com