Keiichi Tanaami “TANAAMI!! AKATSUKA!! That‘s All Right!!” PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO

NANZUKA is pleased to announce its curation of Keiichi Tanaami’s solo exhibition “That’s All Right!!” at PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO (Shibuya PARCO 4F).

This exhibition is a special collaboration born from Tanaami’s continuous creative efforts inspired by the works of Japanese manga artist Fujio Akatsuka, with whom he had a long and lasting friendship. Tanaami and Fujio Akatsuka are narrowly yet perpetually connected to one another through Tanaami’s hidden respect for Akatsuka. Tanaami recalls memories of having drinks with Akatsuka at bars in Shinjuku and Roppongi in the 1970s and 80s but mentions that he was unable to build a relationship with him to the extent of spending time together outside of work—his own pride preventing him from doing so due to his childhood aspirations of becoming a manga artist.  However, the very presence of Fujio Akatsuka, who Tanaami describes as “an unbelievably good person,” is also deeply engraved in Tanaami’s work along with Akatsuka’s motto and spirit of “take fooling around seriously.”

Tanaami has also presented his work in the exhibition “Akatsuka Fujio no gendai bichutsu ten” held in 2015 at BANK GALLERY to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the birth of Fujio Akatsuka, as well as “Break down the former Fujio Pro Building!” which was organized recently in correspondence to the demolition of the former Fujio Pro Building where Akatsuka’s production company used to be housed before its relocation. For this exhibition at PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO, Tanaami created a diverse array of new works ranging from painting, collage, neons, and installations which, with the cooperation of Rieko Akatsuka, feature original drawings from Fujio Akatsuka’s masterpieces such as Himitsu no Akko-chan (The Secrets of Akko-chan) and Tensai Bakabon (Genius Bakabon) as their motif.  

One of the center pieces of the exhibition is an installation work that draws inspiration from a man whose face had been transformed into a house in the Tensai Bakabon episode “Mr. Kuma performs plastic surgery,” the character of which Tanaami reimagines in the form of a tearoom. Other highlights include a series of neon works based on the symbolic silhouette of the character Iyami, as well as various onomatopoeia which are one of the most characteristic iconographic conventions in Akatsuka’s manga works.

Furthermore, the special edition art book That’s All Right! will be published by Shueisha Inc. in conjunction with this exhibition, in addition to the release of print works from SUHEISHA MANGA-ART HERITAGE. These print works, which symbolize a re-teaming between Shueisha and Tannaami, who since the 1970s had worked as an art director for a number of Shueisha’s magazines such as PLAYBOY, present themselves as unique and unprecedented artworks realized through the use of gravure printing technology.

To celebrate the opening of this exhibition, a commemorative talk is scheduled to be broadcast on January 23rd, 2023, from the live streaming studio DOMMUNE, located on the 9th floor of Shibuya PARCO.  

We look forward to welcoming you to the exhibition. 

PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO

Japan, 〒150-0042 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Udagawacho, 15−1 渋谷パルコ 4F