Death casts a shadow across Yokoo Tadanori’s work, in a counterpoint to its overflowing vitality. From imagery suggestive of death, such as skulls and skeletons, to elements from personal memory, including photographs of deceased classmates and skies turned red by air raids, these varied expressions of death confront the viewer with powerful force.
This exhibition explores Yokoo’s perspectives on death by deciphering recurring imagery in his works, through which he continues to depict life while unflinchingly reflecting on death.
Section 1 focuses on skulls, as well as Yokoo’s distinctive allegories, tracing the development of his view of life and death through painting. Section 2 presents a celebratory spectacle of coexistent life and death unfolding within the venue. Skulls dwelling in everyday objects, such as tableware and clothing, beckon visitors on a journey from this world into the next. Section 3 stages a festival of skulls in poster form, as skulls that once adorned the streets travel through time to join a grand reunion.
This exhibition is a revival of the as-yet-unrealized Yokoo Tadanori’s Skull Festival, canceled just before its opening in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope it offers unique opportunities to reflect on death and life while exploring Yokoo’s perspectives on mortality.
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