Takako Yabuki’s artwork culls from and rearranges those things seen and encountered in her own day to day life, expressing a thematic interest in that which protrudes ever so slightly within the corners of our existence.
Her paintings and sculptures often portray the adorable gestures and comical behavior of cats, capturing split-second moments in time. They are born not so much from mere observation, but the personal relationship the artist has developed with her beloved cats and the “smells” and “warmth” of those relationships are fully evoked for the viewer.
Waiting for the Right Moment
2021
97×162 cm
Oil on canvas
This piece was originally created for display at “Kaisatsuguchi Gallery (Station Entrance Gallery),” a promotional initiative begun in 2020 by Saitama Prefecture’s Satte City in which artworks were exhibited near the ticket gates at Satte Station on the Tobu Nikko Line. My artwork was displayed there for two months, from December to January.
A train station is a place where an indeterminate number of passengers move in and out as they hurry to their respective destinations, so I wanted the piece to have an immediate impact, even when seen from a distance.
This period also overlapped with the peak of mass quarantine during the COVID-19 outbreak and to commemorate the moment, I chose to fill every inch of the canvas as I depicted a cat waiting for an opportunity to go outside.
Cats spend most of their day lying still. While they may appear to be doing nothing, they are actually preparing for the right moment to act. The motif thus includes a message for us humans as well, as we attempt to overcome this difficult period by thinking about what we can accomplish, even in stagnation.
In recent years, I have produced an increasing number of sculptures, so this was actually my first oil painting in quite a while and I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity by challenging myself to create a large canvas. The artwork on display in this exhibition includes further details added at a later date.
10/12/2021(fri) - 22/12/2021(wed)
11:00-17:00※ Open by appointment only on Saturdays.
※ Closed on Sundays and holidays.
Please contact us from herefor appointment and any further enquiries.