Takakurakazuki has explored the nature of faith and community in contemporary society by delving into various realms including gaming, internet culture, folk beliefs, and mythology. In this exhibition, titled PLAY=PRAY, he superimposes the acts of playing and praying, presenting new myths, rituals, and relationships between humanity and the world that emerge at the intersection of the digital and the real. We invite you to view these latest works by Takakura, which question the forms of prayer to be found deep within modern society.
Chair Mandala
2026
UV resin on canvas
162 x 130 cm
Chair Mandala
2026
UV resin on canvas
162 x 130 cm
AI am YOU_003
2026
UV resin on canvas
65.2 x 53 cm
AI am YOU_004
2026
UV resin on canvas
65.2 x 53 cm
Takakurakazuki
Artist. Born in 1987. Holds an MFA from Tokyo Zokei University Graduate School. Using digital media such as video games, XR, and AI - and drawing upon characters and game structures - Takakura explores the nature of embodiment and ritual in the digital age. His work re-examines the structures and premises of contemporary art through the lens of Eastern philosophy.
Key projects include the solo exhibition Mechareal at the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art (2023), the curated exhibition Character Matrix at BUG (Tokyo, 2024), and the installation Hyperman Ban-Go-Oh at GINZA SIX (Tokyo, 2025). His work was acquired by the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art in 2025, and he was selected as an artist for OpenAI’s “Sora Select TOKYO.” Additionally, he serves as the art director for the Hanchu-Yuei theater collective, overseeing video and visual direction. In recent years, he has engaged in implementing the logic of mandalas and engi (dependent origination) into society by adopting networked approaches to the creative process - incorporating concepts such as distributed ownership, decentralization, de-urbanization, and collaboration with artisans.
- Production Support
- SunM Color Co., Ltd.
When gripping a game controller, one’s consciousness is directed elsewhere - an act akin to pressing one’s palms together in prayer. Fragmented notions of justice are engaged in a game of musical chairs; a game where the music never stops, appearing hellish yet simultaneously resembling a dance. Every ideology and stance becomes an object of consumption, and every game sits on a shelf like a tagged product, making each not only a contest, but also a form of play. We live in an era where believing equates to consuming and consumption itself is a form of faith, yet what we find here is not cynicism, but a hymn. We choose play as an act of prayer rather than simply to engage in a contest.
Takakurakazuki