SEIZAN Gallery New York is pleased to present Waste Of A Cushion, a solo exhibition of artist Asako Tabata. From September 7 through October 21, 2023, over twenty new works of painting and papier-mâché sculpture will fill one of the gallery’s newly renovated exhibition spaces. The artist will travel from Japan for the opening reception on Thursday, September 7, 6-8pm. 

Less than two years after her well-received first solo exhibition in New York, Asako Tabata returns with a dynamic new body of work. Her subjects continue to be women, children, and ghostly characters rendered in charged brushwork on otherworldly backgrounds. With whimsical figures and a moody palette Tabata captures psychological extremes and emotion, sanity and insanity.

Tabata’s haunted paintings and otherworldly Papier-mâché sculptures are deeply rooted in autobiography. Viewers are invited into the artist's process and private thoughts about each artwork in a supplemental illustrations and memos.

“It Tells Me Everything” is a two-panel painting. One shows the image of a character lecturing with hand gestures, the other panel is of a character deeply listening. They face one another, seemingly engaged in communication, despite being rendered on separate canvas panels with contrasting backgrounds. 

 Tabata explains the work: 

(The lecturer is) my expectations for a smartphone, when I upgraded it from my “Galapagos phone” (old-type Japanese cellphone). But, after I started using it, it wasn’t that special and I was disappointed. 

Then, I read “Baptism” by Kazuo Umezu. I came up with a character who creates someone in their head to receive advice for anything yet is misled by that person. 

Tabata’s works are often inspired by personal childhood memories or by seemingly trivial events from daily life. They combine the unexceptional with enigmatic occurrences. Even the smaller works portray uneventful days or minor habits, and allow the viewer to connect more deeply.  

Tabata was born in 1972 in Kanagawa, Japan. After graduating Tama Art University and soon after becoming a mother and a homemaker, she continued to make art. Not active on social media, Tabata seldom shows her work except for occasionally exhibiting in Tokyo.  Tabata’s work has been included in exhibitions in SEIZAN Gallery (New York and Tokyo, Japan), and VOLTA New York.

SEE AVAILABLE WORKS ON ARTSY