New York-based artist Tomokazu Matsuyama recently launched a massive exhibition of new works at the Long Museum Chongqing. Entitled “Accountable Nature,” the sprawling presentation features large-scale paintings portraying the celebrated Japanese artist’s vivid figurations set against otherworldly backdrops. Across the compositions, the artist utilizes a a traditional Japanese color palette with eye-catching fluorescents while merging motifs found in popular culture to shed light on his multi-cultural background.
“Matsuyama’s visual language is inherent with an editorial process in which mashups and samplings from familiar elements spark viewers to make their own connections, leading to new ideas and narratives. By causing different elements to coexist on a flat surface, Matsuyama challenges contemporary art paradigms and offers each viewer space for new concepts and notions,” said the museum in a statement.
The centerpiece of the exhibition is a seven-meter-tall sculpture entitled Nirvana Tropicana that evokes the “abstract atmosphere in society” and serves as the anchor for the thematic exhibition that sparks discussion on contemporary art paradigms and social-political issues. The title of the show itself was inspired by a technical term called “force majeure” which counts natural disasters and unexpected events as detriments to a functioning society.
“Matsuyama’s visual language is inherent with an editorial process in which mashups and samplings from familiar elements spark viewers to make their own connections, leading to new ideas and narratives. By causing different elements to coexist on a flat surface, Matsuyama challenges contemporary art paradigms and offers each viewer space for new concepts and notions,” the museum added.
View installation views from “Accountable Nature” above and then head to The Long Museum Chongqing’s website for more information.
