Koji Takei

Tree of Souls

2012

Creating sculptures of exquisite peculiarity is an art in which Takei excels. His elegantly crafted works embody the notion of the whimsical, contradictory and idiosyncratic. There is an immediately detectable sense of humor and quick wit about the sculptures in this exhibition. Beyond playfulness, however, Takei’s aim is to challenge the viewer to alter the way in which they look at reality. Taking cues from the Surrealists of the early 20th century, Takei transforms the mundane into the fantastic - and sometimes absurd. His work is a constant inquiry into the meaning of functionality and the perception of purpose. Much like Man Ray’s iconic readymade sculpture, The Gift (1921), and Meret Oppenheim’s infamous fur-covered teacup (Object, 1936), Takei recontextualizes those pragmatic objects that we immediately recognize. With his piece Soft Shoulders (2011), Takei deconstructs a wooden clothes hanger...

Koji Takei works reference synthetic cubism in the most literal of senses. In cubist artworks, the objects are broken up, analyzed and re-assembled in abstracted form. These pieces...

As much as Takei’s pieces are Cubist in nature there is also an unmistakable Asian influence in the working method of the Japanese native. A quiet solidarity and respect for the individual parts set the pieces apart from the noisy commentary that Cubism often invokes. Takei’s pieces are minimal in nature, but powerful in presence and seem to reference the interlocking sculptures...

Koji Takei works reference synthetic cubism in the most literal of senses. In cubist artworks, the objects are broken up, analyzed and re-assembled in abstracted form. These pieces...

Koji Takei works reference synthetic cubism in the most literal of senses. In cubist artworks, the objects are broken up, analyzed and re-assembled in abstracted form. These pieces...

Koji Takei works reference synthetic cubism in the most literal of senses. In cubist artworks, the objects are broken up, analyzed and re-assembled in abstracted form. These pieces...

Here you will find an extraordinary and high quality lamp, which conjures a beautiful shadow pattern on the wall or ceiling. This ball lamp is delivered in lacquered rust optic, wit...

Miller Opie’s “Whispering Dervish” is a gestural 13.5 x 5 x 4 inch White Oak wood sculpture with found feather details embedded into the wooden grain. It i...

Inspired by the Shoulder Stand in Yoga, aka Sarvangasan, Curiá brings an abstraction to the pose as the figure's legs morph into a wooden boat. The figure has a beautiful green pati...

Processing Venice is a unique contemporary modern painting relief by renowned Polish-Dutch artist Eliza Kopec. This painting relief is a typical exampl...

Sylvia Okwui Enwezor is a unique contemporary modern painting relief by renowned Polish-Dutch artist Eliza Kopec. This painting relief is a typical example of her preferred abstract ...

Sherry Owens Waterhole, 2017 Crepe myrtle, dye, paint, wax 24 x 36 x 36 inches For over 30 years, sculptor Sherry Owens has used the sinewy crepe myrtle tree to tell her story of the Texas landscape, death, renewal, beauty, and of today’s growing environmental concerns. Remnants of personal stories, visions and observations in nature are the driving forces in her work. She believes that what we see and do in our daily lives leaves a mark on our planet. It is the direct impact of human activities on the natural world, which is visualized in her artistic practice. She creates connections with nature using crepe myrtle trees found along the side of the road. Each stick is hand-carved and cut to fit, then laid in place and secured with a small myrtle peg. What takes precedence in the laborious process is the importance of detail and evidence of the artist’s hand and her interaction with the materials. Sherry Owens is a native Texan, currently living and working in Dallas, TX. She received a BFA from Southern Methodist University. Recent Texas solo exhibitions include The Grace Museum; Cris Worley Fine Arts; Martin Museum of Art; Art Museum of Southeast Texas; and a two-person site-specific installation at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum. She was also included in recent exhibitions at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, TX and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, LA. She has exhibited internationally in Austria, Denmark, Germany, Greece, India, Japan, Peru, and Turkey. Her work is currently on view in the Ground Zero 360 Remembrance Exhibition at the Museum of Biblical Art...