The character depicted in the artwork designed by Takahashi Maho is a young girl, a symbol of our era. The girl belongs to the “digital native” generation, and its design has been influenced by numerous sources. The images of heroes in the content we are familiar with are typically drawn in an easily understandable way, making them into subjects of our admiration and caricatured in a strong yet happy style. In contrast, the girls drawn by Takahashi Maho are not readily recognized within the so-called “otaku” (geek) culture found in Japan. Rather, they are drawn in a simple and innocent way, without decorative elements.
This exhibition features works that are centered around images of the young girl “ANOKO” and elements of the nature found in the environment in which the artist was born and raised, with a focus on the relationship between life and humanity inherent in them.
2023
Mixed media on wooden panel
162 x 162 x 3.5 cm
2023
Mixed media on wooden panel
53 x 53 x 3 cm
2023
Mixed media on wooden panel
112 x 162 x 3.5 cm
2023
Jesmonite
15 x 12 x 32 cm
Takahashi Maho
Born in Chiba Prefecture in 1992. After working as a freelance illustrator and designer, Takahashi taught at an art school for three years before becoming an artist.
In 2019, Takahashi announced the release of “ANOKO,” a character based on the motif of childhood. The ensuing pandemic motivated the artist to quit all of her jobs and dedicate herself to her art. In 2020, she began her work as an artist in earnest. For her large-scale works, she makes use of a closed-down nursery school that she used to attend as her studio, based out of her hometown in Chiba Prefecture. Takahashi creates both two- and three-dimensional works with various media. She participated in the Art Fair Tokyo and Art Taipei in 2022, and is currently active as a freelance artist in Japan and abroad. In the future, Takahashi plans to expand her possibilities for expression by trying her hand at wood carving and photography.
One by one, the memories that I recall are clearly defining the outline of who I am, making me stronger as I come to terms with myself. We live for this moment, and no matter how our civilization evolves, the unshakable fact is that we are still human, living beings.
The place where I grew up is in the process of being enveloped by nature, returning to the greenery it once was. Although we might understand that this was the way things originally were, it’s only human to try and fight the tides of time. I don’t want my life to merely signify an ending.
Takahashi Maho