Takanobu Kobayashi
Artist(s)
Takanobu Kobayashi
copied
“I’ve always like food, Witnessing people eating stuff at food stalls, for example, was something that amazed me. Rather than an interest in people, it was something that I felt when seeing people eating” - Takanobu Kobayashi
EAT
23 May 2019 - 21 Jul 2019
EAT is an epilogue of a decades long project which Kobayashi initiated when he moved to Bangkok in 1996. The exhibition consists of paintings and photographic installation.
The tableware/dishes series first appeared during his time in Bangkok. Within his daily routine, he would frequent his favorite food stall and be impressed by the people there. He said, “I’ve always liked food, witnessing people eating stuff at food stalls, for example, was something that amazed me. Rather than an interest in people, it was something that I felt when seeing people eating”. Kobayashi sees his empty plates as a point of departure, it forms a point of contemplation for the viewer and since meaning is not predetermined, it offers a horizon to the consciousness to be interpreted by the viewer.
Residency Program and Open Studio
25 July - 11 August 2019
BALANCE
15 August – 3 November 2019
During his residency, Kobayashi opened his studio to visitors to observe his work process and exchange ideas surrounding his work. In this latest series, Kobayashi explored the notion of two-dimensional balance through painting.
Kobayashi uses the title Balance as a snare, suggesting a disruption to the reality he felt circulating around him. Within the quiet forest, the artist placed toy blocks on a horizontal grass plane, each block assembled to create a visual equilibrium that satisfies viewer perceptions. However, looking closely one notices the blocks are stacked in a way that is impossible against gravity. Thus the artist points to the obvious fictional realm inside the canvas, while still maintaining the realistic attributes of the object.
About the artist
Takanobu Kobayashi (b.1960, Japan)
Kobayashi is regarded as one of the most influential contemporary Japanese painters. His work has been included in many major surveys and exhibitions throughout the world. Kobayashi first moved to Bangkok in 1996 with a grant from Japan’s Agency of Cultural Affairs. He is known for his serene and luminous landscapes that put the viewer into a state of suspension. The meditative quality of his work saw a sudden change when he moved to Bangkok a year before the economic crash of 1997. Instead of painting landscapes with sunlit flooded canvases, he chose to paint simple tableware illuminated by fluorescent light, a low-rent apartment building at night, and soundless renderings of vehicles on the street. Kobayashi’s candid psychological renditions of the cityscape are a dense commentary on Bangkok’s economic, social and mental condition.