In a quiet spot on the northeast side of Venice, off the usual track for Biennale visitors, lies one of the more colour-saturated, hyper-surreal and yet realistic exhibitions to be found at this year’s art event. Under the wooden beams of a former military storage facility, you’ll find artist Tomokazu Matsuyama’s solo exhibition Mythologiques, a vibrant testament to our interconnected world. Known for his vivid, collage-like paintings that reflect the various fusions of the modern era – real and digital, East and West, tradition and modernity, the global and the local – this show brings together eight paintings around this theme. These large-scale canvases are displayed in a round; centred by, on the facing wall as you enter, the standout hero piece, “You One Me Erase”: an intriguing tableau inside of which you’ll spot references to a wide range of artists from history, from Yoko Ono to Barbara Kruger and Frida Kahlo. “By placing these diverse artists in dialogue with one another, the piece emphasises the interconnectedness of human experiences and the shared pursuit of self-expression”, says the artist.
For Matsuyama, the show’s location in Venice was a further opportunity for the blend of cultural and historical elements he is so adept at, citing the space’s black and white checkerboard floor as its own kind of intermingling: a combination of the Renaissance symbolism of order and balance, with something more contemporary like the Indy 500 flag we associate with Americana. This fascination with internal contrasts is also reflected in the fluoro-bright colours that confront the viewer no matter what is being painted, from the everyday details like pizza boxes and mobile phones, to the ornate flora and fauna that accompany them in these scenes. “My palette is a fusion of subtle tones found in Japanese culture, such as those seen in kimonos and traditional Japanese dyeing, with more vibrant hues,” Matsuyama says of his signature approach. “This combination bridges my Asian identity and my life in New York for over two decades, creating a unique and personal colour palette.” But as the artist adds, there’s a rationale behind all these wild combinations: “By bringing together these diverse elements in my work, I aim to convey a message of courage and hope for the future of our global society today.”
Visit the gallery above for a closer look.
Tomokazu Matsuyama’s Mythologiques (curated by Christoph Doswald, organised by the Contemporary Istanbul Foundation and supported by Turkish Airlines) is running at Maggazino No.41, Mirana Militare until 24 November, 2024.