Takesada Matsutani, Three Circles-19, 2019

Organized with Olivier Renaud-Clément, this intimate presentation of Takesada Matsutani at Hauser & Wirth embodies Matsutani’s intuitive and enduring connection with his materials over the past six decades, including a new work created in the artist’s studio and home during this period of isolation.

Takesada Matsutani, EVOLUTION-99, 1999

Takesada Matsutani, Cercle 88-30

Takesada Matsutani, Joint-86, 1986

In keeping with his Gutai roots, Matsutani strove to identify and convey the essential character and expressive possibilities between vinyl adhesive and graphite. It is this confluence of materials, as seen in recent works Propagation 15-2-5 (2015) and EVOLUTION-99 (1999), that epitomizes the distinctive visual language the artist has made his own over the last 40 years.

Takesada Matsutani, Preparatory drawwing, 5, 2015

Takesada Matsutani, Project-2, 2015

Takesada Matsutani, Preparatory drawing, 5, 2015

Alongside Matsutani’s rediscovery of the power of black and white, he also started to adopt bright color planes and shaped canvases with a very personal palette, this is highlighted in Three Circles-19 (2019), photographed in the artist’s studio in the past month during isolation. Talking about whether the current global pandemic has changed his practice Matsutani says: “a little bit at first, but I find my routine is the same and focus on the work is the same. In the end, the beauty is still there and continues to exist.”

Takesada Matsutani, Propagation 15-2-5, 2015

Takesada Matsutani, Stream 78-1, 1978

Takesada Matsutani, Puffed up-2, 2020

“Time is for me, most important. I was born, I must die. But my conscious is streaming for infinity. My infinity, my purpose, my desire is there. That’s my imagination.”
–Takesada Matsutani

This online exhibition follows Matsutani’s retrospective survey at the Centre Pompidou, Paris in Summer 2019 and coincides with the re-opening of Takesada Matsutani: Prints, 1967-1977 at les Abattoirs, Toulouse, in partnership with the National Institute of Art History, France (INHA). The artist’s work is also featured in our current group presentation at Hauser & Wirth Hong Kong.

Takesada Matsutani, Stream 99-5, 1999

Under the umbrella of Hauser & Wirth’s new global philanthropic and charitable initiative #artforbetter, we are donating 10% of gross profits from sales of all works in our online exhibitions to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization.

Takesada Matsutani / Stream
May 14 – September 1, 2020 / Hauser & Wirth, Online
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