Yokoo Tadanori and Asia in 1989

This corner introduces the fifteen works from the Yokoo Tadanori collection at Fukuoka Art Museum based on the close link to Asia. The exhibition seeks to articulate the link between Yokoo and Asia through his Holy Shambala series in which Yokoo developed mysterious Indian images he was fascinated by, and the posters of two exhibitions on Asian art, The 3rd Asian Art Show and The 4th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh in which Yokoo participated.

Holy Shambala—India and Yokoo Tadanori
Yokoo Tadanori was born in Hyogo in 1936 and belonged to the generation that was shocked by Beetles’ India visit at the end of the 60s. Yokoo started listening to Indian music, burnt incense, practiced yoga, and heightened his fascination towards India. Finally, Yokoo set his foot in India in December 1974. Holy Shambala series was a book of prints, which Yokoo disclosed at his solo exhibition Holy Shambala at Nantenshi gallery (Tokyo) in March 1974, shortly before his departure for India. According to Yokoo, “Shambala is the name of the capital in Agartha kingdom, which is locating in the void that exists in the center of the earth” (Yokoo Tadanori. Indo-he (To India). 1974. Bungeishunju Ltd.), and the superhumans live in this millennial kingdom. This series reflects Yokoo’s interest towards spirituality that goes beyond the modern and rational system of knowledge. In these works, the package design of Indian incense and Hindu gods and goddesses are combined with vivid psychedelic colors.
Spiritual images of India also appear in SANTANA LOTUS. This poster was originally designed as an LP jacket of an American rock band, Santana’s Osaka concert in 1973. This could be a representative work of Yokoo in the 70s, which show his close interest in psychedelic fashion, Indian culture, UFO, and spiritual cultures including occult theories.

Yokoo visited India seven times until the 90s. Yokoo continued developing his spiritual image of India in various media even after the 70s., and the works include the collaboration with India’s film advertisement painter and designing the stage art using India’s religious posters.

* Exhibited works (collection of Fukuoka Art Museum)
Ten works from Holly Shambala series, and One SANTANA LOTUS—Total eleven works

Yokoo Tadanori and Asia in 1989—Fukuoka and Dhaka
In 1989, Yokoo Tadanori participated in two exhibitions on Asian art. First one was The 4th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh at Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, in March, and another one was The 3rd Asian Art Show at Fukuoka Art Museum in July.

Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh started in 1981 as a state-organized international art exhibition. It focuses on Asian Art and introduced the works according to the country like Fukuoka Art Museum’s Asian Art Show. Japan participated in the Biennale since 1981 as a project of Japan Foundation, and an appointed commissioner selected the Japanese artist. In the 4th Biennale (March 1-30, 1981), the commissioner, Tono Yoshiaki (art critic), selected Yokoo Tadanori and Ebizuka Koichi and introduced their works in Bangladesh. Yokoo presented two posters and twenty large-scale paintings including Catastrophe series with three men wearing suits, that show a sophisticated balance of primitive colors. Yokoo himself visited Dhaka for the opening.

In July of the same year, The 3rd Asian Art Show was held at Fukuoka Art Museum, and Yokoo created the main poster of the exhibition. The poster adds the 70s’ psychedelic feeling to the use of primitive color similar to Catastrophe series displayed at Dhaka. Centering tiger, the symbol of Asia, on the canvas, the painter who depicts tiger, the hunters with a rifle and a spear are arranged in nested composition, which best describes Yokoo’s characteristics that multiple works relate to each other in a complex manner.

* Asian Art Show was first held in 1979 as an inaugural exhibition of Fukuoka Art Museum and continued in approximately every five years until the 4th in 1994. It was a leading exhibition focusing on Asian art and was carried on in The 1st Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale in 1999 upon an inauguration of Fukuoka Asian Art Museum.

Exhibition catalog, flyer, and ticket
The 4th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh
Exhibition catalog, Catalog of the Japan section
Video documentation of Yokoo at the Dhaka venue and his works (approximately 3 minutes)