October 1989 / WC at Tama Art University, Tokyo, Japan / 160cmx400cmx240m / Steel, Wood, Paper, Painting, etc.
This is one of the oldest art works in Takahiro's history. When Takahiro started making his works in the University, the question he had always, was what we could make for art after Duchamp. We were born after "Fountain" - a famous art work in which Duchamp made a urinal art piece. It was as if everything was possible to be an art piece in our time. Takahiro made a wheel piece which is also a famous work of Duchamp. If you turn the handle of this work, the wheel will turn round in a side way. It was a metaphor for a twisted art.
Reality and the World
Reality and the World / 1990
June 1990 / Gallery Gen, Tokyo, Japan / 500cmx400cmx270cm / Mirror , Stainless Steel, Wood, etc.
Takahiro made a cage in the gallery. There was a mirror in the cage and if you stood in front of the mirror, you might feel you were in the cage. You can't tell a lie to yourself when you see yourself in the mirror, but on the other hand you sometimes tell lies in your daily life and there are lots of lies in this world. For some, the inside of the cage might be much more pure than the outside.
Brain Reform
Brain Reform / 1991
March 1991 / Gallery Gen, Tokyo, Japan / 500cmx400cmx270cm / Styrene Foam, FRP Pate, etc.
Takahiro likes simple expressions. Simple could be very complicated sometimes. He thinks common senses are not always true. If you doubt something, everything could not be absolute in this world.
561 VS 823
561 VS 823 / 1991
July 1991 / Espace, Osaka, Japan / 400cmx350cmx260cm / Fabric, Paper etc.
In Japan there is a typical traditional sport for elementary schools. It is called “Tamaire”. A red team and a white team compete by putting the team's color balls into their team's baskets on the tops of long bows. Children enjoy this game. In this game the team which could put more balls in the basket than the other one will be winner. We have this sport just for fun, but there are many types of competitions or battles in this world.
Project Love
Action of Human Being - Project Love / 1991
September 1991 / Gallery Gen, Tokyo, Japan / 500cmx400cmx270cm /
Sheets of Rice Paper, Japanese Ink
In Japan, children learn how to write calligraphy in elementary schools. If you go to a school you can see the children's calligraphy on the wall in the room usually. Somehow Takahiro never forgets such a sight of his childhood. He thought this kind of memory could be art. So he asked some schools that children write the word "Love" in the calligraphy class and put the pieces in the room as usual. Then Takahiro collected all the "Love" and installed in the gallery. He realized the words can influence people and it became a hint for a later IKIRO project.
Over Spilt Milk
Over Spilt Milk / 1992
May 1992 / Gallery Gen, Tokyo, Japan / 500cmx400cmx270cm / Steel, Wood, Cement, Plaster, FRP Pate, etc. / Photo by Yasunori Tanioka
Takahiro took the idea of this installation from the proverb "it is no use crying over spilt milk". This is one of his favorite proverbs. It has been giving positive thinking to him when he faces difficulty. In this period Takahiro tried many kinds of techniques he had acquired from part-time jobs.
Metal Sky
Metal Sky / 1992
May 1992 / Gallery Gen, Tokyo, Japan / 500cmx400cmx270cm / Crushed Cans, Steel, Wood, etc. / Photo by Yasunori Tanioka
Takahiro made a stuffy dark room in the gallery. When people entered the room they couldn't see anything and few minutes later their eyes would get used to the darkness. The photo above was taken with extra lights to show details. The impression of the dark room was hopeless, but there was a crack in the ceiling which people could feel blue sky over.
Advanced Time
Advanced Time / 1993
September 1993 / Spiral, Tokyo, Japan / Clocks
Takahiro advanced all the clocks in the public spaces of the Spiral Building by one hour. After people realized the clocks were wrong and recovered from this shock, they reconsidered their relationship with the elusive entity of time. Time was relative to their watch or the position of the sun in the sky. The idea of this work is we never know if we really share the same time in this world.
Reincarnation
Reincarnation / 1995
May 1995 / NW house, Tokyo, Japan / 500cmx500cmx270cm / Paper Mulberry, Steel, Fabric, Wax, Japanese Lacquer, etc. / Photo by Yasunori Tanioka
The title of this work is "Reincarnation". Takahiro wanted to express life has both a deep aspect and an easygoing aspect. There was a basketball painted in Japanese lacquer on the floor and the writings of IKIRO covered all over the room. There was American pop music playing in the room. The work had a balance of a serious side and a funny side.
One
One / 2002
September 2002 / "Double Sense" / Saburo Muuraoka & Takahiro Suzuki / galerie 16, Kyoto, Japan / 5mx4mx2.7m / Steel, Aluminum, Human Being, etc.
It was held for the 40th anniversary of galerie 16, one the oldest contemporary art galleries in Kyoto. Muraoka put salt for his installation. Takahiro put the metal box, which was the remake of his work "One" in 1991. Recruited artists by Takahiro who wanted to stay in the box for the exhibition could stay in the box for 8 hours a day with his or her small art work in the gallery. Takahiro stayed in the box at the opening with a mirror.
Installation 1989 - 2002 / Takahiro Suzuki
Before Takahiro started the IKIRO Project, he created many types of art. Here are some example photos. For each artwork he considered each concept. He also tried using new materials he had gotten, and techniques he had learned. He thought the best way to know art was materializing and experiencing. Takahiro thinks that without this period in his life, he would never have gotten the idea for the IKIRO Project.
Performances
One
One / 1991
May 1991 / "Room for thinking of Beuys" / Watarium, Tokyo, Japan / Soil, Steel, Aluminium, The Artist, etc.
Takahiro was much inspired by Joseph Beuys. There was an opportunity to put his artwork in Beuys's exhibition in Tokyo, and Takahiro was chosen as a one of the artists who applied. He put the metal box in the space and tried sleeping for 8 hours a day for one week. He wanted to use his body unconsciously in his work. Rudolf Steiner inspired Joseph Beuys. In the book Takahiro read Rudolf Steiner said when a human being slept it would be similar to a plant.
One
One - Baby of the Tree / 1992
October 1992 / Tama Art University, Tokyo, Japan / Plastic Bag, Plastic Hose, The Artist / Photo by Yasunori Tanioka
In this period Takahiro tried using his body in many ways. He leaned Yoga or African Dance to get more possibilities for his performances. Mostly he didn't get satisfied with his performance, but the important thing was to experience through his body. Yasunoyi Tanikoa was good partner to take the photos of Takahiro’s experimental performances.
Performance
Performance / 1992
September 1992 / Kasumigaseki & Ginza, Tokyo, Japan / Paper, Pen, Quilt, The Artist / Photo by Yasunori Tanioka
Takahiro tried using his body for art as freely as possible. Sometimes he made the decision of what he would perform through intuition. For example, once he did an action drawing in front of the Diet Building. He made a video work with this performance later. The reason why he did this was that he wanted to be the role of blood and stimulate the brain of Japan. He also made a tank painted with funny animals and flowers, and went around the Diet Building with it another day.
Breath
Breath / 1993
March 1993 / Gallery Gen, Tokyo, Japan / 500cmx400cmx270cm / Soil, Wood, Plastic Hose, Water, Glass, The Artist, etc. / Photo by Yasunori Tanioka
Takahiro stayed in the box with soil for 8 hours. He inhaled oxygen and exhaled carbon dioxide. One side of the hose was connected to a duct to get fresh air from outside, and the other side was sunk into water in a bottle to make bubbles and noise. At that time he always looked for the possibilities of using his body in the art. In this exhibition the installations were changed everyday for one week, and Takahiro was somewhere with his body in the installation.
Arise
Arise / 1993
August 1993 / "Arise" Choreography by Takahiro Suzuki / Ai Hall, Osaka, Japan / Dancers, The Artist / Photo by Yasunori Tanioka
The more performances Takahiro tried the more expressions with people he was interested in. One time Takahiro performed with contemporary dancers on the stage. He choreographed the dance and designed the costume and stage sets.
It consisted of 5 scenes for one hour. After that he started collaborating with dancers or musicians constantly.
Made in India
Made in India / 1993
December 1993 / Pushkar, India / Balloon, The Artist
Takahiro wanted to have a distance from art and Tokyo to reconsider his life. He took a trip to India. In the holy town Pushkar, he performed with balloons on his head. He painted himself white and wore a white costume and hung around the town. Indians were interested in his look and took him from place to place. At the end Takahiro was painted with Indian traditional color powder, and he danced in front of an audience with Indian music. This experience gave Takahiro a new way to enjoy his life. He got positive energy in India and it would help him to go to the next step of art.
Buried Time
Buried Time / 1994
March 1994 / Streets of Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan / Clock, Crane Truck, Construction Workers, Guards, The Artist
Takahiro used to work as a construction worker for living. He learned lots of things from this job. The work was very tough and strict but the physical and mental toughness gave him a realistic feeling. On the other side, making art was not strong enough to feel such a reality for him. One day he had an idea to perform in a construction site. He and the other workers painted their faces white, and did an action sinking the clock into the hole. This performance had the meaning the time and labor they used under the ground would be closed with a lid of a manhole, when the construction was over.
Dance in the Cemetery
Dance in the Cemetery / 1994
August 1994 / Fuji, Shizioka, Japan / The Artist / Photo by Yasunori Tanioka
Takahiro danced in the cemetery for ancestor worship. This action was inspired by the experience in India. When Takahiro was in India, he saw Indians believe in reincarnation and they celebrate someone's death and passage to the next life. He thought it was a really beautiful idea. So he expressed himself with his own style.
Creator & Operator
Creator & Operator / 1994
September 1994 / Gallery Gen, Tokyo, Japan / 500cmx400cmx270cm / Electric Goods, Model of Black ship, The Artist, etc. / Photo by Yasunori Tanioka
Takahiro was hung from the ceiling for 8 hours. He wore a Japanese samurai costume. He got switches and he operated some electrical goods. This work has 2 aspects, modern Japan and Japan at the time of national isolation. We have a history that Matthew Calbraith Perry came to Japan with black ships and then we opened our country to foreign trade and diplomatic relations. In this exhibition the installations were changed everyday for 2 weeks, and Takahiro was somewhere as a part of his installation each day.
Red Yellow Orange and Black
Red Yellow Orange and Black / 1994
September 1994 / Gallery Gen, Tokyo, Japan / 500cmx400cmx270cm / Refrigerator, FRP Pate, etc. / Photo by Yasunori Tanioka
Takahiro put his head into a refrigerator in the gallery. It stands for the bighead of human beings. We sometimes need to cool down to reflect on ourselves quietly.
In this time Takahiro had already moved to New York from Tokyo to distance himself from art in Japan. So this exhibition was like a last spark of his Tokyo period for him. In this exhibition the installations were changed everyday for 2 weeks, and Takahiro was somewhere as a part of his installation each day.
Garbage Evolution
Garbage Evolution / 2003
October 2003 / Yodo River side Park, Higashi Yodogawa Osaka, Japan / 600cmx70cmx180cm / Recycled Material, The Artist
This exhibition was organized by a city government office, against the unlawful dumping of garbage. Takahiro made statues of apes and installed them with plastic bags along the river. He stood in the position like the above photo, and sometimes the audience stood instead of him to get a photo taken. The material of the statues was the garbage he collected.
Performance 1991 - 2003 / Takahiro Suzuki
Takahiro enlarged the field of his creations. He started from concrete paintings and abstract paintings, then he made installations or conceptual arts, and then he naturally became interested in performance arts. He tried many kinds of experimental performances at many kinds of locations. Sometimes the audiences of his performances were trees or dead people or just the sky.
Paintings / Objects
"Exist℃" Oil Paintings
Objects / 1990-2011
"One" Paintings & Objects / 1991
Paintings & Objects 1990 - 2012 / Takahiro Suzuki
Takahiro paints oil paintings and makes sculptures. Here are some example photos. Creating by hand is very important for Takahiro. The IKIRO Project took on this policy. Takahiro writes and paints IKIRO many times but it is never the same IKIRO.
Photo Works
Blue Body
Blue Body / 2012
2012 / "Exist℃” / 40cmx30cm / Digital Print
This is one photo of "Exist℃” Series. This series were taken in Berlin Germany, and shown at galerie 16 in Kyoto Japan in April 2012.
Green Way
Green Way / 2012
2012 / "Exist℃” Series / 40cmx30cm / Digital Print
This is one photo of "Exist℃” Series. This series were taken in Berlin Germany, and shown at galerie 16 in Kyoto Japan in April 2012.
Yellow Bees
Yellow Bees / 2012
2012 / "Exist℃” / 40cmx30cm / Digital Print
This is one photo of "Exist℃” Series. This series were taken in Berlin Germany, and shown at galerie 16 in Kyoto Japan in April 2012.
Red Moon
Red Moon / 2012
2012 / "Exist℃” / 40cmx30cm / Digital Print
This is one photo of "Exist℃” Series. This series were taken in Berlin Germany, and shown at galerie 16 in Kyoto Japan in April 2012.
White Eat
White Eat / 2012
2012 / "Exist℃” / 40cmx30cm / Digital Print
This is one photo of "Exist℃” Series. This series were taken in Berlin Germany, and shown at galerie 16 in Kyoto Japan in April 2012.
White Snow
White Snow / 2012
2012 / "Exist℃” / 40cmx30cm / Digital Print
This is one photo of "Exist℃” Series. This series were taken in Berlin Germany, and shown at galerie 16 in Kyoto Japan in April 2012.
"Exist℃” Photo Works 2012 / Takahiro Suzuki
Takahiro has been continually making photographic works since 2005. He took them in New York, Berlin, Japan and so on. Taking pictures is like creating a new reality for Takahiro. He is interested in the expressions between natural and artificial. Mostly he gets the ideas for photographic works from the subconscious or his dreams.
Eggs
Eggs / 2012
2012 / "Exist℃” / Digital Print
This is one photo of "Exist℃” Series. This series were taken in Berlin Germany and Japan.
Land 1
Land 1 / 2012
2012 / "Exist℃” / Digital Print
This is one photo of "Exist℃” Series. This series were taken in Berlin Germany and Japan.
Light
Light / 2012
2012 / "Exist℃” / Digital Print
This is one photo of "Exist℃” Series. This series were taken in Berlin Germany and Japan.
Fish
Fish / 2012
2012 / "Exist℃” / Digital Print
This is one photo of "Exist℃” Series. This series were taken in Berlin Germany and Japan.
Hope
Hope / 2012
2012 / "Exist℃” / Digital Print
This is one photo of "Exist℃” Series. This series were taken in Berlin Germany and Japan.
Hope 2
Hope 2 / 2012
2012 / "Exist℃” / Digital Print
This is one photo of "Exist℃” Series. This series were taken in Berlin Germany and Japan.
Bird
Bird / 2012
2012 / "Exist℃” / Digital Print
This is one photo of "Exist℃” Series. This series were taken in Berlin Germany and Japan.
Moonlike
Moonlike / 2012
2012 / "Exist℃” / Digital Print
This is one photo of "Exist℃” Series. This series were taken in Berlin Germany and Japan.
Air
Air / 2012
2012 / "Exist℃” / Digital Print
This is one photo of "Exist℃” Series. This series were taken in Berlin Germany and Japan.
Land 2
Land 2 / 2012
2012 / "Exist℃” / Digital Print
This is one photo of "Exist℃” Series. This series were taken in Berlin Germany and Japan.
Photo Works 2012 - 2008 / Takahiro Suzuki
Takahiro has been continually making photographic works since 2005. He took them in New York, Berlin, Japan and so on. Taking pictures is like creating a new reality for Takahiro. He is interested in the expressions between natural and artificial. Mostly he gets the ideas for photographic works from the subconscious or his dreams.
March 2012 Remake / May 2005 Original / Performers : Yoko IIda, Hiroko Nakamura, Yoko Kuroda
This video is made in a sensuous way including the subconscious. We are existing in this world. It seems that sometimes it’s for a reason and sometimes for no reason. We eat, we talk, we work, we sleep, and we live, and we die someday. Time passes in front of us. That's the rule in this world.