Tatsuo Miyajima presents new work at William Morris Gallery, London
12 June 2018
One of Japan's foremost contemporary artists, Tatsuo Miyajima opens an exhibition with new work at the William Morris Gallery, London, from 16 June until 23 September.
The exhibition will include a new work by Tatsuo, which has been inspired by the English textile designer's iconic Bird fabric from 1878.
Miyajima has drawn and painted over a variety of surfaces, from bank notes and kimonos, to Japanese scrolls and photographic reproductions of Modernist European art works. Describing these works as ‘a conversation’, he notes that although the material becomes a background for his work, its significance is heightened by close observation. "The viewer, by looking through the numbers, looks at the original work in a more detailed manner because it is partially concealed. When it is not covered, we don’t take in as much detail, but by overlaying it with ‘Miyajima numbers’ it allows us to focus our attention. I propose this as a collaboration between the original work and myself." He adds that the kimonos – which he sources from antique shops in Kyoto – are from the late 19th century, their manufacture loosely coinciding with the establishment of Greenwich Mean Time in 1884.
