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Mitsukuni Takimoto

Mitsukuni Takimoto (b.1952) is an artist who specializes in wood sculpture. Takimoto began his practice in 1977 through an apprenticeship with Tomonori Toyofuku in Milan, Italy. Takimoto’s sculptures are most often of subjects without permanent form. Such as waterfalls, rivers, clouds or smoke. His sculptures are characterized by fluid chisel marks on the surface. These marks simultaneously show the act of making and represent a conscious effort to grasp indeterminate things. In addition to his contemporary art practice, Takimoto is also an expert in the restoration of classical Buddhist statues. Takimoto is currently based in Kamakura, Japan. 

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Apart from being a contemporary artist, Mitsukuni Takimoto is also an experienced restorer of ancient sculptures. His hands-on experience in treating ancient statues has given him a unique perception of handicraft and time. Every restoration of an ancient wooden statue, even if the intention is to restore it to its original state, inevitably transforms it. Thus, every act of restoration leaves its mark - marks which, like tree rings, accumulate and add to the ancient object itself. Resonating with his experience as a restorer, the patterns Mitskuni Takimoto carves in wood capture movement frozen in time.

一方で木彫作家の瀧本光國は、経験豊かな仏像修復師でもあり、時を超えて受け継がれる匠の技を深く体得しています。修復とは元の状態に戻すようで、古いものに新たな息吹を宿すことでもあり、技が幾重にも積み重ねられるなかで、“もの(物/者)”もまた無限に転生を繰り返します。西洋の彫刻が建築空間のために要請された、体積的・構造的なものなのに対し、瀧本は無数のノミ跡を残すことで、流動的な事物や姿かたちのない記憶を有形物へ起こしています。

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Exhibition Publication

In collaboration with the curators, Tokyo Gallery published a trilingual book on the occasion of this exhibition with a series of interviews with the artists.

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