Purple Magazine
— Purple #43 S/S 2025
The Tokyo Diary Issue
keiichi tanaami
portrait
by CHIKASHI SUZUKI
A pioneer of Japanese Pop Art, Keiichi Tanaami (1936-2024) came to symbolize catharsis and regeneration in postwar Japanese society. A child of the war’s devastation, Tanaami transformed his traumatic memories of air raids, searchlights, and bombs into an explosive and colorful style that incorporated these themes and pop iconography. In a prolific creative career spanning over 60 years, Tanaami produced paintings, collages, sculptures, animations, and installations, influencing younger generations of artists. He recently had his first major retrospective, “Adventures in Memory,” at the National Art Center, Tokyo, paying tribute to a Japanese artist who is underappreciated in the Western contemporary art world. He died on August 9, 2024, before his exhibition closed.
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“Keiichi Tanaami: adventures in memory,” 2024, installation views at the national art center, tokyo, photos noriko yamamoto
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“Keiichi Tanaami: adventures in memory,” 2024, installation views at the national art center, tokyo, photos noriko yamamoto
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Keiichi Tanaami, presence, 2022, digital canvas print, magazine scraps, ink, acrylic paint, and rhinestone on canvas
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Keiichi Tanaami, presence, 2022, digital canvas print, magazine scraps, ink, acrylic paint, and rhinestone on canvas
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Keiichi Tanaami, 1967 tokyo_4, 1967/2000, silkscreen print on paper
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Keiichi Tanaami x Fujio Akatsuka, kaboom, 2022, pigmented ink, acrylic silkscreen medium, crashed glass, glitter, and acrylic paint on canvas
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Keiichi Tanaami, pull off the mirror, 2022, pigmented ink, acrylic silkscreen medium, crashed glass, glitter, and acrylic paint on canvas, 58 5/8 x 39 3/8 inches
