Statement

Daily life in our all-encompassing mediated culture has had profound effects on how we discern reality. Modern media through its various platforms and devices has grown into a behemoth, producing streams of imagery and content competing for our attention, often with messages that shape our attitudes, beliefs, and social values. With this premise I propose that content creation is equivalent to a new religion, and our hosting platforms are the new temples.

However, my art is not a negative critique of our mediated culture, I seek to explore and appropriate this data rich environment as raw material to create an art that has tension yet familiarity. Using collage, I explore the subject, aesthetic, pace, and sense of place we are creating through the many artifices of mass social media.

I am particularly interested in art that explores the fanatic, fringe, gaps, and contradictions in American culture. I feel to fully explore these areas, the art making process must also have a bit of fanaticism in it. My process typically starts with research, while stockpiling information on the subject. This involves image scavengery, photography, sketching and preliminary collage studies. Typically, a finished composition has between 500-800 layers that create the final piece.

My art is a diary, a daily confessional, a mosaic window in the temple of now.

Biography

African American artist, Takako Konishi

I create collages that pay homage yet break with the traditional collage agenda, I describe my process as painting with images. Utilizing digital technology I cut, paste, blend and mix imagery, creating multilayered mashup compositions that burst with sexuality, anger, beauty and obsession. “Imagery makes the best paint; it’s comes dripping with color and connotations.” (Takako Konishi)

Born and raised in Chicago, I believe growing up in a large multicultural city which offered ample opportunities to experience different cultures, neighborhoods and environments has played a large role in shaping me as a person and an artist. I like to think of the city as a teacher, which exposed me to various forms of design, styles and aesthetics.

Formally trained as an architect (currently practicing in Chicago) I was heavily influenced by my time in graduate school at the University of Cincinnati’s School of Design Architecture Art and Planning (2004-2007.) The school had a dynamic mixture of disciplines and students interacting within the same building. I fondly recall attending lectures and critiques on Fashion, Art, industrial design and Architecture. It was during this time I became interested in collage.

My art reflects the current environment many of us experience daily. We constantly go back and forth between the real and the perceived as filtered through our devices. I strive to reside somewhere in between this tension of the simulated and the real.

Resume / CV

Takako Konishi
T: 708.639.3371
E:takako.konishi.art@gmail.com
Personal Summary:
African American artist Takako Konishi, constructs collages that pay homage yet break
with the traditional collage aesthetic. He describes his process as painting with images.
Utilizing digital technology along with traditional methods he cuts, pastes, blends and
mixes imagery, creating multi layered mashup compositions that burst with sexuality,
anger, beauty and obsession. “Imagery makes the best paint; it comes dripping with
color and connotations.” (Takako Konishi)

Education:
MA in Architecture: University of Cincinnati school of design architecture art and
planning - June 2007
BS in Architecture: University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee school of architecture & Urban
planning – June 1995

Exhibition list:

2024 Solo exhibit,” Converted Sations”, (The Oak Park Main Library) Oak Park, IL
2024 Group exhibition, CAVA Winter Exhibit (Zhou B Art Center) Chicago, IL
2023 Group exhibition, ENVIRONMENT, (116 Gallery) St. Charles, IL
2023 Group exhibition, VICES, (The Chateau Contemporary Art Gallery) Louisville, KY
2023 Group exhibition, DAAP made: The Exhibition, (Reed Gallery) University of
Cincinnati, Cincinnati Ohio
2023 Group exhibition, South Port Art Festival, (Wrigleyville) Chicago IL
2023 Group exhibition, Gold Coast Art Festival, (Grant Park) Chicago IL
2023 Group exhibition, “Marvelous Black Boy Art Show”, Venue West (West Loop)
Chicago IL
2023 Group exhibition, “Art in the Castle”, Castle farms, (Charlevoix) MI
2022 Group exhibition, “Many Americas”, Southern Vermont Art Center, Wilson Museum
(Manchester) Vermont
2022 Group exhibition, 57th Street Art Fair, (Hyde Park) Chicago IL
2021 Solo exhibit, Bad Owl, (Bridgeport) Chicago IL
2020 Solo exhibit,” Pandemograms”, The Heritage Gallery, Beverly IL
2019 Group exhibit, “Outside the Practice II, Monuments & Places of memory”,
Bridgeport Art Center, (Bridge Port) Chicago IL
2019 Group exhibition, “Cultural Deconstructions,” LeMieux Galleries, New Orleans, LA
2019 Group exhibition, Gibson Morrison Cultural Center, Evanston IL
2018 Group exhibit, International Friendship Park gallery Cincinnati Ohio
2018 Group exhibit, Beverly art walk, Planet 104 pop up gallery Beverly IL
2018 Group exhibit, Pilsen art walk, Apocalypse pop up gallery (Pilsen) Chicago IL
2018 Group exhibit, “Magnify”, Republic Nola, (Arts District) New Orleans, LA
2018 Group exhibit, Space 1858 art show, (West Town) Chicago IL

Publications:
Konishi, Takako, (2019) Collage & the Deconstruction of Culture, Cultural
Deconstructions, Critical Issues in Collage, pg. 8-11
Konishi, Takako, (2018) Can I Borrow your Face? A renaissance of Poetry, Art and
Fashion pgs. XV, 110,157-158, 161,
Internet Publications:
http://kolajmagazine.com/artis...

Interviews:
https://bridgeportart.com/outs...
https://www.artistcloseup.com/...
Lecture / Speaking engagements:
2019/09/20 Bridgeport Art Center, Chicago IL. Konishi, Takako. “It’s a great time to be a
collage artist!” Pecha Kucha special event, outside the practice in collaboration with the
Bridgeport Art Center.
2023/10/11 AIGA Chicago, ASK+GIVE event, Berwyn IL. Konishi, Takako. "Trust your
Instincts" AIGA monthly event
2024/02/22 The Oak Park Main Library, Oak Park IL. Konishi, Takako. " Converted
Sations " The Oak Park Main Library Artist lecture series.