Takahashi Maho’s modern girl figure, “ANOKO,” is a strong symbol of innocence, who nevertheless retains her individuality and conveys hope and messages to society. She is a delicate depiction of the relationship between the inner world of each individual and the society that surrounds it, reflecting modern values and people’s feelings. Through Takahashi’s work, you can get a glimpse into the depths of how the artist’s prayers and hopes are expressed. We welcome you to experience this exhibition featuring more than 20 new works describing Takahashi Maho’s worldview as she explores the image of a girl in modern society.
Aitowa (Love is)
2025
Oil on canvas
91 x 72.7 x 3 cm
Love is Gravity
2025
Oil on canvas
91 x 72.7 x 3 cm
Love is Power
2025
Oil on canvas
91 x 72.7 x 3 cm
Love is Light
2025
Oil on canvas
91 x 72.7 x 3 cm
Takahashi Maho
Born in 1992. In 2019, Takahashi announced the release of “ANOKO,” a character based on the motif of childhood. 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 2022 and TAIPEI DANGDAI 2023 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.
In 1945, the first atomic bomb was dropped. My grandfather volunteered to be a kamikaze soldier, and just before he was about to depart, Japan surrendered and the war ended. The trajectory of world in which I now live exists because the war ended at that time.
One of Albert Einstein’s most famous achievements is the formula E=mc2. The special theory of relativity, presented in 1905, is the basis of atomic energy and nuclear weapons, in the sense that mass can be converted into significant energy. Although Einstein was a pacifist and was not directly involved in the development of the atomic bomb, he was deeply troubled by the consequences of his chemistry hypothesis. It is no exaggeration to say that he was instrumental in initiating the research that led to the Manhattan Project. After the bomb was used, he became a strong advocate for the banning of nuclear weapons.
There is a well-known Internet meme about a letter Einstein was purported to have written to his daughter Lieserl in which he described love as being the Universal Force. In 1984, Einstein’s daughter donated approximately 1,400 letters written by her father to the Hebrew University, with instructions that the contents not be made public until 20 years after her death, and although the imagined letter to Lieserl while not among these, it has nevertheless had a powerful impact on many people, including me.
When I read that letter, I truly wanted to believe in invisible powerful love. I felt then, and continue to feel today, that even in this day and age, it is very important to be connected by a chain of love in order to eliminate unbearable and unnecessary sadness from this world. We are born, supported, and live by love. Love has been loudly cited countless times in the past, but I believe it is something that is always necessary in every era. Now it’s my turn. I will continue to think about love and create works until I die.
This universal force is love.
Takahashi Maho