An exhibition by illustrator Ken Matsuda is being held at Seiko House Hall in Wako, Ginza. The work speaks to the "symbiosis of animals and plants." What do the gazes of the many animals that fill the venue tell us? And what are the thoughts of the artist who drew it...? This is my impression of the exhibition, including an interview with Ken Matsuda.
The venue is filled with the joyful breath of flora and fauna enjoying life.
How many eyes are depicted? Sharp eyes that seem to shoot at the person in front of them, gentle eyes that seem to embrace them, and loving eyes that make you want to hug them. Tigers, cats, whales, frogs... The exhibition hall is filled with the eyes of various animals. Various plants surround these animals, and sometimes they become one with the animals, creating a paradise.
The event is being held at the Seiko House Hall on the 6th floor of Seiko House.Mazdaken World Exhibition”. When you step into the venue, where approximately 60 works, including watercolor and pen works, drawings, and prints, are on display, you feel as if you are enveloped by the breath of flora and fauna that are enjoying life.
When you see these works in person, you will be overwhelmed by their detail. The work on the far right is "Continent".
There are many works full of worldviews that will make you stop and look at them. If you look closely, you can clearly see the precision of the pen's touch and the shading of the watercolor.
Detailed and realistic pen drawings,Watercolor with exquisite color scheme and gradation of light and shade
"Symbiosis between animals and plants." Ken Matsuda's work is often talked about in this way. Pine trees cover a huge whale, and dayflowers grow from the frog's body. The world of imagination imagined by the creator, which cannot exist in reality, spreads out in all directions. Ken Matsuda says.
``There is actually a frog called moss frog that has a pattern on its body that looks like moss.One day, just as a joke, I tried drawing that pattern using real moss, and it turned out to be a surprisingly good fit. I became familiar with this, and that was the start of my work depicting the integration of animals and plants.”
Although he humbly calls it a ``fashion'', what makes this possible is the detailed and realistic line drawings drawn with a pen, the exquisite color scheme of watercolors, and the shading of the brushstrokes that create delicate tones. Another factor is that he was born in Tottori Prefecture, a prefecture with a rich natural environment.
``I grew up in a rural area where pheasants often came to the garden, and from an early age I was interested in things like the bonsai that my grandfather grew, and the moss that grew on the garden wall.From a young age, I was a bit of an unusual child. I also really liked drawing, and before I knew it, I was always drawing pictures of animals."
A boy who loves animals and plants and loves to draw, honed his skills by self-taught, created his own world, and has now become an artist who is attracting attention from overseas.
Each pine needle and whale's whiskers are meticulously drawn. The nuances of pine branches are also extremely realistic. This realism depicts an ``impossible world'' as if it were ``possible.'' Partial enlargement of "White Dragon".
The whole of ``Hakuryu''. ``White Dragon,'' which depicts a giant whale and an old pine tree, is a symbolic work of the exhibition. Power and delicacy coexist.
Start by drawing the eyes. The quality of the work determines the direction of the work.
There is a word called ``Garyu Tenten.'' It is very important to draw in the eyes at the very end, as it means the finishing touch. Will those eyes be drawn in at the end? I asked Ken Matsuda.
``No, rather, it's the first part.The shine and expression of the eyes are very important elements for the work, so much so that they can affect the quality of the work.If you draw the eyes at the end and make a mistake, the work will be dead. from"
Near the center of the venue, there is an exhibit called ``Continent'' in which a giant rhinoceros slowly walks, followed by various animals such as a tiger, a frog, and a shark. The work exudes a vibrant vitality and joy. It seems that he started drawing this work from the point of view of the rhinoceros.
``At first, I had planned to draw the rhinoceros as a powerful being who takes the lead in pulling all living things along.However, his eyes turned out to be surprisingly gentle, so I could look back and worry about the animals that would follow.'' I decided to change the title to ``Continent,'' centering on a gentle, motherly rhinoceros, and in which the animals happily move forward.''
``Gold Vein 2''.
A new attempt to make you feel the animals and the environment surrounding them through the shading of ink.
In one area of the venue, the surrounding plants have disappeared, and only individual animals such as cats, fish, and chickens are displayed. The titles of all the works are ``Sumi no Kaori.'' As the title suggests, the gorgeous colors are overshadowed, and the only thing that leaves an impression is the shading of the black ink and the pale greens and browns placed there as if they were color inserts.
“Coexistence between animals and plants is one of the themes that is very important to me.On the other hand, recently I have become more interested in valuing the arrangement of colors and shapes, so I deliberately change the composition and create blank spaces. ``Sumi no Kaori'' is a work of this type.''
The animals in ``Sumi no Kaori,'' which are drawn individually, each have their own eyes that emit a different light.
One of the works named ``Sumi no Kaori.'' The restrained use of color, centered around the shading of the ink, creates a sense of depth.
Can we humans really participate in "symbiosis"?
The work that symbolizes the exhibition is ``White Dragon.'' A gigantic whale with its tail raised high lives in symbiosis with an old pine tree, and a rooster heralds the dawn. I want you to look at the whale's gaze. In her small eyes, there is a strong will that deflects your gaze, a coldness that makes you think of resignation, and a cynical light. This gaze may be able to see through the pitiful humanity that repeats its foolishness.
Is it possible for us humans to participate in the symbiosis between animals and plants? Perhaps, as the whale's eyes tell us, coexistence will be rejected by plants and animals. As countless eyes stared at me, I suddenly felt something like that.
◆Art exploration diary ~ Exhibition information
Mazdaken World Exhibition
Date: April 2024, 4 (Thursday) - May 25, 2024 (Monday)
Time: 11:00 – 19:00 until 17:00 on the last day
- Location: Seiko House 6th floor Seiko House Hall
Illustrator Ken Matsuda's first solo exhibition will be held in Wako, Ginza.
The works created with the theme of coexistence between animals and plants are delicate yet dynamic, and you can feel the energy of life.
Don't miss this opportunity to experience a fantasy world woven by creatures vividly drawn with Ken Matsuda's realistic brushstrokes.
<Gallery talk by Ken Matsuda>
April 4th (Saturday), 27th (Monday), May 29th (Saturday), and May 5th (Monday) from 4:6 p.m.
◎Entry may be restricted when it is crowded.
Masao Sakurai
He has been a member of the editorial department of Fujingaho, a long-established women's magazine founded in 38, for over 1905 years, and has researched and written manuscripts on a variety of Japanese culture, including traditional Japanese crafts such as pottery and lacquer art. Now, as a freelance editor, he is in charge of articles for Premium Japan about Ryuho Sasaoka, head of the Sasaoka school of the Miso-ryu school, and Kikunojo Onoue, the fourth head of the Onoue school and third generation head of the Onoue school. She has visited Kyoto many times over the years, but there are rumors that she knows more about izakaya than about Japanese culture.
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