Good condition.
Signed and dated on the lower center.
Each piece is 172.0 × 100.0 cm. The overall size is 172.0 × 200.0 cm.

Born in Tokyo, Tanaami Keiichi (1936-2024) was a prolific interdisciplinary artist and graphic designer. Inspired by a childhood interest in manga, Tanaami’s artworks are heavily inspired by cartoons. Tanaami was immediately successful, receiving prestigious awards whilst studying at Musashino Art University. Whilst Tanaami was widely celebrated for skilful illustrations, Tanaami participated in cutting edge art movements of the 1960s and 1970s. First, Tanaami was a prominent member of the Neo-Dada movement, before working with video art, and Pop Art. By the end of the 1970s, Tanaami had developed a signature psychedelic pop culture inspired style.

During the 2010s, Tanaami began making works based around the theme of a bridge that connects this world with other metaphysical realms. Tanaami has commented on the significance of bridges in Japanese culture and design, with many Japanese bridges having nationally recognisable features. In Mirror Surface there is a bridge filled with fantastical yet recognizable creatures. There are references to international pop culture, such as the Lichtenstein comic-book-style aeroplane in the center, as well as futuristic motifs and Japanese iconography. Many of Tanaami’s works approach the universal anxiety between life and death, and the passing of time. This diptych acknowledges the competing stresses of navigating localized histories and interconnected globalized futures. In Mirror Surface the bridge links the past with the future and intertwines existential thoughts with lively imagery.

“Visible Darkness/Invisible Darkness”, March 17 - April 23, 2016, Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York