Takahashi Yoshikazu, Ikkai, 1981, Oil on Canvas

Details

Description

Monumental Japanese oil painting, attributed to Takahashi, with a pink painted signature or monogram in the lower right and an … Read more Monumental Japanese oil painting, attributed to Takahashi, with a pink painted signature or monogram in the lower right and an original Japanese label on the reverse.

The composition presents a compact group of figures that clearly refers to the formal language of Japanese haniwa terracotta funerary figures: three larger frontal characters with mask-like faces and stylised bodies, brought together into a single almost sculptural mass. The title on the label can be read literally as something like “one mass,” “one whole,” or “condensed form,” which closely reflects the dense, clustered structure of the image.

Dimensions without frame: height 130.5 cm, width 97 cm, depth 3 cm. Dimensions with frame: height 148.5 cm, width 115 cm, depth 8 cm.

The oil paint is applied heavily and richly in impasto, with pronounced texture, built-up layers, and a strongly tactile surface. The palette is warm and earthy, with tones of beige, ochre, olive green, brown, and turquoise accents. This gives the work a calm background, while allowing the figures to come forward strongly and feel almost like objects in space.

On the reverse is an original label stating “from a series of five,” together with the title, the date Shōwa 56 (1981), the artist attribution, and a later note indicating an additional brush reworking in 1986.

Like the other paintings in this group, this piece works exceptionally well today as a statement piece in a restrained, eclectic, or architectural interior. It brings texture, depth, and a distinct visual language to a space, with a presence that feels both quiet and powerful.

The painting shows normal, honest traces of age and use, consistent with the work and its period.

The work can also be supplied with a silver-coloured frame if desired. This piece has an attribution mark,
I am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
issues arising from misattribution See less