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3 Hearts 9 Brains Blue Blood
26 Nov–25 Dec 2022Born in 1979 in Saitama, Japan, Shohei Takasaki lived in both Japan and Portland, USA before settling in Sydney, Australia where he now lives and works.
The underlying and consistent theme across Takasaki's body of work is the idea of comparison. Using an array of mediums ranging from oil pastels, charcoal, and paint to found objects and fabric, Takasaki often depicts a certain subject or motif in multiple styles to draw attention to the “in-betweenness” that arises from these juxtapositions.
“We can only perceive nature (the world without straight lines) in comparison to man-made buildings and divided roads (objects composed of straight lines). The reverse is also true. The theme of ‘comparison’ is fundamentally a very human act, which is why humans have developed to this point. Comparing oneself with others is a form of communication itself,” says Takasaki. By contrasting, for example, intense colors and strokes against graphic lines, or images of modern society against caricatures of prehistoric times, he asks the audience to question the seemingly contradictory combinations of self/other, domestic/foreign, inside/outside the body, native/foreign language, physical/online, real/virtual, past/future, life/death. By forcing opposites to interact within his pieces, Takasaki hopes to inspire re-evaluation and communication, be it compromise or furthered dialogue.