KOSAKU KANECHIKA is pleased to present RETHINK, a solo exhibition by Noritaka Tatehana, from 26 November to 24 December 2022.
Noritaka Tatehana’s practice includes collaboration with craftsmen and artisans in traditional industries to bridge the past and the present. This approach is akin to a ‘rethink’ of Japanese traditions and cultures, not by simply recreating them in the present, but by adding an extra layer of contemporary meaning and reinterpretation. In this exhibition we present in the gallery works that were first exhibited in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s online exhibition Edo Tokyo Rethink, which was based on a concept that can be encapsulated as Old Meets New. A renewed perspective on Edo Tokyo crafts unravels, re-interpreted by Noritaka Tatehana as part of his attempt to safeguard traditions and ensure that they continue to be handed down for another hundred years.
About Edo Tokyo Rethink
With Noritaka Tatehana at the helm as director, the exhibition Edo Tokyo Rethink was hosted by the Edo Tokyo Kirari Project to reconsider traditional craft techniques and goods that are rooted in Edo Tokyo and to promote them globally. Tatehana worked in collaboration with traditional craftsmen of Tokyo. The resulting works were exhibited at the Kyū-Iwasaki-tei Garden, designated by Japan as an Important Cultural Property, as well as in an online exhibition in the form of photos and video.
Noritaka Tatehana presents a redesigned worldview by combining elements of traditional Japanese culture with those of the contemporary era. His carefully honed artistry is elegantly expressed through various media, and his creations, which nurture the sensitivities of Japanese history, tradition,and innovation, burst with endless possibilities for the future. Gaining the attention of audiences all over the globe, Tatehana is known for his ‘Heel-less Shoes’ series inspired by takageta – elevated wooden clogs worn by traditional Japanese courtesans. The artistʼs works have been acquired by internationally acclaimed institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
Founded in March 2017 by director, Kosaku Kanechika, KOSAKU KANECHIKA is a contemporary art gallery in Tokyo, Japan, that belongs to a new generation of venues re-defining the local contemporary art landscape. The gallery showcases Japanese artists who are renowned domestically and on an international scale, representing Yutaka Aoki, Junko Oki, Takuro Kuwata, Ataru Sato, Chikashi Suzuki, Noritaka Tatehana, and fumiko imano. The gallery also hosts exhibitions featuring overseas artists such as Dan McCarthy and Ruby Neri, introducing artists that engage in novel expressions transcending both medium and genre.
