Provenance：
Illustrated："Icons," Shibuya Tsutaya, Japan, Tokyo, 2020, color illustrated
Exhibition："Icônes II," Art Statements, Hong Kong, July 21st-September 30th, 2016
Exposition：
In the year 1977, in the vibrant city of Tokyo, Takeru Amano was born into a world steeped in artistry. What made his upbringing particularly unique was the fact that his father happened to be the renowned Japanese animator, Yoshitaka Amano. Growing up, Takeru was immersed in a tapestry of creative disciplines, from stage and costume design to illustration, animation art, and even video game aesthetics. This rich and diverse environment served as fertile soil for nurturing Takeru's innate artistic talents, setting the stage for his journey into the world of artistry.
In 1997, Amano embarked on a life-changing journey to the United States, where he delved into the realm of printmaking. During this time, he found himself amidst the flourishing landscape of post-modern art, being exposed to movements like Neo-Pop Art and Neo-Expressionism. It was in this vibrant artistic setting that he began to shape his own artistic identity. By the time he returned to Japan in 2000, he was determined to forge a path uniquely his own, one that would transcend the artistic legacy of his celebrated father.
This period coincided with the global ascent of Japanese popular culture, as it evolved from the heyday of science fiction films into the distinctive anime style that would become a defining facet of entertainment culture and art. As modern society continued its transformation and diversification, entertainment culture gradually expanded its horizons. What was once purely a realm of imaginative science fiction narratives expanded to encompass elements of everyday life. This marked the transition from a focus on technical prowess to the animation style itself becoming a primary artistic medium, giving birth to what would later be known as the "Superflat" art movement.
At the forefront of the Superflat movement was Takashi Murakami, who posited that Japanese society itself embodied a "superflat" style, where the boundaries between popular culture, societal structures, and art became flattened. In Murakami's conceptualization, "flatness" referred to the two-dimensional canvas, with depth and dimensionality being conveyed through the projection of images. Despite the shared Superflat aesthetic, individual artists brought their own unique perspectives, motivations, and approaches to their works. They breathed life into the two-dimensional canvas, creating hidden depths and a three-dimensional world within their art.
In this artistic wave, Takeru Amano found inspiration in Greek mythology and classical European art. He seamlessly integrated the Superflat style with elements of mythology, sacred and harmonious compositions, and geometric visual balance. His distinctive touch was to reimagine complex and esoteric subjects with a "chibi" charm, making them feel approachable and relatable, thereby capturing the enchantment of "flattening."
In his initial series, featuring the Greek goddess Venus, he masterfully captured the elusive perfection of this mythological figure in his signature style. Building upon this, he extended his creative journey into a series that depicted Greek goddesses in modern, relatable scenarios.
In this remarkable work Artemis and Actaeon, breathes new life into the Greek goddess Artemis, rendering her in a contemporary, flat style. In this reinterpretation, Artemis kneels, gently placing one hand on the back of Actaeon, who has metamorphosed into a deer. Her other hand discreetly shields her chest, maintaining her modesty. Amano's playful approach infuses humor and drama into Ovid's tragic tale of Actaeon's ill-fated encounter with the bathing Artemis in the woods. Through character postures, expressions, the use of color, and composition, Amano's work exudes a sense of whimsy and theatricality.
Whether using ancient myths to comment on modern life or vice versa, Amano's art transforms both narrative and myth into vehicles of amusement and boundless imagination. In doing so, his work underscores the profound energies that underlie both life and mythology.
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