Untitled

Red etching series printed on Awagami Katakana Green, mounted on Stonehenge paper

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Taro Takizawa is a visual artist who recently graduated from the College of Visual and Performing Arts in Syracuse University as a printmaking MFA candidate. He focuses on printmaking, vinyl installations, painting ,drawing and ceramics. Takizawa was born and raised in Japan. He received a B.F.A. in 2-D with an emphasis in printmaking from Central Michigan University. Recently he has been showing his works in a variety of locations, including A Long History Cut Short at Point of Contact Gallery, Syracuse; Deep End at Apostrophe’S, Syracuse; Chautauqua School of Art Annual Student Exhibition at Fowler-Kellogg Art Center, Chautauqua, New York; PARADOX City Student Project: Reactivating Central Poznan at CK Zamek, Poznan, Poland; and PARADOX CITY at UP Gallery, Berlin, Germany. Takizawa is a Morgan Conservatory 2019 Artist-in-Resident.

 

Artist Statement:

The work is a tool to rediscovering the Japanese history and culture. I realized this after moving to the United States, where everyone asks me questions about where I came from. Since I didn’t pay much attention to my everyday life while in Japan, I had to do research about my own country, its culture and its history to show what Japan is like, from both historical and cultural viewpoints. What becomes evident in studying history is patterns. The patterns used in my work shows the ripple, steam and flow of water which is important because Japan is surrounded by the ocean. I am influenced by Japanese art, especially the Japanese block prints (Ukiyo-e) from the 17th century through the 19th century; waves and rivers, how these waters are rendered fascinates me.