Interview with Tomokazu Matsuyama - Mythologiques at 60th Venice Biennale

Mythologiques, Arsenale 41, 60th Venice Biennale. April 20 – November 24, 2024. Photo courtesy of Tomokazu Matsuyama studios.

By CLARE GEMIMA 

In Mythologiques, Tomokazu Matsuyama invites audiences to explore a captivating confluence of imagery and identity within the historic context of the 60th Venice Biennale. Set in the Arsenale, the exhibition is an investigation of visual language that blends traditional and contemporary influences in a meticulous layering that mirrors the complexities of today’s global landscape. Through his intricate compositions, Matsuyama constructs a world where cultural narratives capture the dynamic interplay between his own personal history and the shared histories of others.

In our conversation, Matsuyama discussed the process behind Mythologiques, and emphasized the role of symbolism and the weaving together of diverse cultural narratives. He highlighted the deliberate selection of each image, color, and motif, illustrating how they collectively prompt viewers to rethink rigid notions of heritage and identity. This thoughtful approach, he explained, serves as the foundation of his work, enabling his pieces to function as living dialogues that resonate with a wide array of audiences. Through the fusion of cultural symbols, histories, and visual languages, Mythologiques challenges boundaries, and offers a compelling exploration into the fluidity involved with belonging in today’s rapidly changing world.

Clare Gemima: Venice, with its rich tapestries of history, and vibrant cultural intersections, offers a captivating backdrop for Mythologiques. How did the city's intricate legacy of global exchange and its iconic setting at the Arsenale influence your conceptual and visual approach to this body of work? Additionally, did studioMDA's spatial design or Christoph Doswald’s curatorial vision—especially within the framework of the 60th Venice Biennale, Foreigners Everywhere —spark any shifts in your typical creative process?

Tomokazu Matsuyama: Venice’s rich history of cultural intersections, especially within the Arsenale, provided a unique foundation for Mythologiques. This setting—a place long recognized as a hub for global exchange—perfectly aligned with my approach to weaving together diverse art traditions through a contemporary lens. By grounding the work in both Eastern and Western influences, I aimed to create a space that bridges past and present, inviting viewers into a dialogue that honors Venice’s legacy of cultural convergence.

The checkerboard floor pattern became a central visual anchor, drawing from Italian Renaissance geometry and Venetian decor, yet also referencing American pop culture symbols, like the Indy 500 flag. This blend reflects my approach to merging tradition with modernity, linking global narratives in a single space. Collaborating with studioMDA and Christoph Doswald further helped shape this vision, transforming the space into an immersive environment that resonates with both local heritage and global connectivity, capturing Mythologiques as an exhibition deeply embedded in Venice’s ongoing narrative of cultural exchange.

Clare Gemima: Your paintings often engage with an intricate matrix of cultural signifiers, from Edo-period Japanese aesthetics, to postwar Western pop iconography. How do you consciously navigate the juxtaposition of these disparate visual languages, and how do you see this process as reflective of your experience in bridging your Japanese heritage with your life in the United States?

Tomokazu Matsuyama: The merging of cultural signifiers in my work reflects the fluid boundaries we experience in today’s interconnected world. Blending Japanese aesthetics with Western pop iconography is not merely a stylistic choice; it’s essential to engaging with the reality of cross-cultural exchanges that define modern identity. In this era, where identities can shift as easily as avatars, I see these interwoven influences as vital to growth—reflecting diversity’s layered and evolving nature.

Having grown up amid Japanese and Western contexts, my art navigates these worlds through a dialogue that balances tradition and contemporary expression. By grounding my work in traditional Japanese aesthetics while incorporating modern, accessible elements, I aim to create a space that resonates across cultural boundaries. Living in the U.S. has offered me a platform to question and explore identity, belonging, and the future, and this constant interplay shapes my work, reflecting the nuanced experience of bridging cultures.

Clare Gemima: The figures in Mythologiques seem to inhabit a space between cultural, temporal, and stylistic worlds, almost as if they are suspended in a timeless state. Can you elaborate on the conceptual framework behind these characters? How do they operate as messengers of your larger narrative, and how do they reflect the fragmentation of identity in our increasingly interconnected/disconnected world?

Tomokazu Matsuyama: The figures in Mythologiques occupy a liminal space, bridging cultural, temporal, and stylistic realms in a way that feels timeless. Drawing on elements from traditional Japanese art alongside contemporary influences, these characters embody a blend of histories and modern perspectives, creating a space where different worlds coexist. Rather than focusing on a single narrative, they invite a layered dialogue, reflecting the fluid, multifaceted experience of navigating diverse cultural identities today.

These figures act as vessels of meaning, offering viewers a mirror for introspection rather than conforming to one identity. By capturing the emotional and nostalgic aspects of our shared experiences, I aim to depict the essence of who we are amid intricate cultural landscapes. This approach forms the basis of my fictional landscapes—a conceptual space where identity and memory intersect, inviting a journey through the layered worlds we inhabit.

Catharsis Metanoia, 2024. Acrylic and mixed media on canvas. 110 x 151 in. Photo courtesy of Tomokazu Matsuyama studios.

Clare Gemima: Your work's maximalist quality—characterized by the intricate layering of patterns, colors, and forms—evoke a sense of overwhelming complexity. How do you perceive this dense visual language functioning within the broader framework of your practice, particularly in the context of Mythologiques? Is there a conceptual foundation to this maximalism that perhaps echoes the saturation of imagery and cultural narratives in our globalized era?

Tomokazu Matsuyama: The intricate layering and dense visual language in my work reflect the overwhelming saturation of imagery and narratives in our globalized era. In Mythologiques, this complexity serves as a lens to explore individual identity amidst a flood of images, values, and information. This approach isn’t merely about visual abundance; it’s a response to the deeply interconnected environment we navigate, where identities are continually shaped by social, cultural, and global influences.

Inspired by Gauguin’s questions— “Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?”—Mythologiques delves into identity construction in an age of constant imagery and information. Here, maximalism becomes a conceptual foundation, capturing the multifaceted, interwoven nature of our world, where personal and cultural histories blend in a continuous dialogue.

Clare Gemima: The influence of Japanese traditions, from ukiyo-e woodblock prints to postwar art movements, resonates throughout your exhibition and oeuvre in general. How do you balance honoring these historical references while expanding their relevance within a contemporary framework?

Tomokazu Matsuyama: Japanese artistic traditions, from classical painting and print techniques to postwar art movements, resonate in my work. Rather than directly referencing these forms, I draw on their essence to weave a dialogue between historical influences and contemporary contexts. This approach allows me to reimagine traditional aesthetics while engaging with the broader visual language of today.

By merging these traditional elements with diverse influences from other cultures, I aim to build a nuanced portrayal of identity. Balancing historical references with contemporary interpretations allows for a dialogue across time, where each piece becomes a collage of visual narratives that blend the old with the new. This approach places Japanese heritage within a broader, interconnected context, reflecting how identities evolve, drawing from the past to engage with the present.

Bring You Home Stratus, 2024. Acrylic and mixed media on canvas. 130 x 121 in. Photo courtesy of Tomokazu Matsuyama studios.

Clare Gemima: I am also curious if you are engaging with the philosophies of Claude Lévi-Strauss in Mythologiques? Given his structuralist theory of mythology, which analyzes myths as a language, how do his concepts of 'mythemes,' binary structures, and the collective unconscious inform your practice? Do you believe these ideas still hold applicability in contemporary discourse, particularly in light of critiques regarding Eurocentrism and the limitations of structuralism in literature and anthropology?

Tomokazu Matsuyama: Mythologiques draws from Claude Lévi-Strauss’s structuralist ideas, particularly his view of mythology as a framework for understanding cultural narratives, yet it adapts these concepts to reflect the complexity of our globalized world. The exhibition delves into the layering of identity shaped by interconnected cultural, social, and economic forces, exploring how these influences intertwine within a vast network of images and values. Rather than reinforcing binary structures, Mythologiques reflects a fluid dialogue where traditional and contemporary symbols coexist, capturing the hybridity that defines our shared global landscape.

The layered compositions in Mythologiques embrace cultural ambiguity, using familiar symbols from Japanese and Western contexts to explore identity as both fragile and fluid. These figures become vessels that carry individual and collective narratives, resonating with Venice’s own history of cultural exchange and framing identity as an evolving, cross-cultural conversation.

Clare Gemima: The intricate, often repetitive patterns in your paintings seem to function not only as aesthetic devices but as a medium for cultural dialogue, recalling both traditional Japanese textile designs amongst other contemporary global motifs. How do you view the role of pattern in your work? Is it a way to blur boundaries between cultures, the old and new world, or something else entirely? 

Tomokazu Matsuyama: The patterns in my work are more than decorative; they facilitate cultural exchange, bridging traditional influences with contemporary expressions. Inspired by sources like Japanese textiles and modern global motifs, these layered patterns create a space where diverse narratives intersect, capturing the fluid nature of identity in today’s interconnected world. In Mythologiques, patterns act as symbolic connectors, merging various histories and influences to reflect both my personal heritage and the broader global culture that informs my work.

This approach allows me to explore different cultural narratives through a textured dialogue that reflects today’s complexities. The repetition and density of these patterns echo the saturation of imagery in contemporary life, blurring boundaries and inviting viewers to consider identity as a shared, evolving narrative.

Clare Gemima: Your compositions involve layers that blend flatness with depth, almost as if you’re mapping out a new visual reality, interior, or exterior for your characters. How does this method allow you to explore the tensions between personal and collective cultural narratives?

Tomokazu Matsuyama: In my work, combining flatness with depth allows me to explore the interaction between personal and shared cultural experiences. This approach creates a layered visual space where familiar aspects of daily life intersect with broader cultural themes, mapping out a complex reality that reflects the nuances of identity. By blending intimate and universal elements, I aim to craft compositions that resonate with viewers on multiple levels, encouraging reflection on how these different worlds coexist.

Everyday cultural symbols, which might appear “exotic” in traditional contexts, are integral to my environment and experience, especially living in New York. Incorporating diverse references—such as philosophical motifs or themes from Japanese traditions—helps me capture a multifaceted narrative that feels both grounded and expansive. This interplay of flat and dimensional spaces invites viewers to engage with the work as a bridge between individual memory and collective experience, a place where layered identities and histories converge.

You, One Me Erase, 2023 Acrylic and mixed media on canvas. 108 x 260 in. Photo courtesy of Tomokazu Matsuyama studios.

Clare Gemima: You, One Me Erase is a monumental, engulfing work, weaving together a myriad of art historical references from Kahlo to Kawara, Matisse to Haring, and Kusama to Hammons. Could you walk us through your decision-making process for selecting and emulating these particular works from art history? Additionally, how do you approach the hyper tiny, technical aspects—whether through stenciling, layering, or other methods—in order to maintain such a high level of detail?  

Tomokazu Matsuyama: You, One Me Erase embodies the interconnected nature of our visual culture, weaving together references from art history, global design, and contemporary iconography. In selecting artists like Kahlo, Kawara, Matisse, Kusama, and Hammons, I sought figures whose work resonates across boundaries, addressing themes of identity, diversity, and cultural narratives. Each reference serves as part of a visual “who’s who,” creating layers of meaning that reflect both personal and universal themes central to my practice.

Achieving this intricate detail requires a meticulous blend of stenciling, layering, and hand-painting, allowing me to build a “cabinet of curiosities” where every element has its own cultural weight. The setting echoes curated interiors, resembling a contemporary “altarpiece” where historical and modern objects merge. Through this densely woven visual field, You, One Me Erase becomes a homage and recontextualization, inviting viewers to explore the layered, multifaceted world of both art history and modern culture.

Clare Gemima: I’m curious about the balance between your hand-drawn elements and the potential use of other digital or mechanical tools. With the growing influence of AI’s image generation and inventiveness, do you see any intersection between artificially intelligent technologies and your painting practice? Has digital intervention played any role in your approach to constructing your paintings, particularly those as expansive as Bring You Home Stratus, or Catharsis Metanoia? 

Tomokazu Matsuyama: In my painting practice, the balance of hand-drawn elements with digital tools reflects a fusion of traditional techniques and modern innovation. I use tools like Adobe software and 3D printers as supportive, fluid components of the process, much like a DJ digging through records, allowing creativity to remain organic and human-centered. AI image generation, while a powerful tool, is only one part of a broader toolkit, complementing rather than leading the creation of a textured, layered narrative.

For works like Bring You Home Stratus and Catharsis Metanoia, the emphasis lies in capturing cultural intermingling and personal experience. In an era where identities are increasingly fluid, digital tools allow for intricate layering, yet the core of my process remains rooted in the tactile interaction between hand and canvas. This approach prioritizes authentic, layered storytelling over artificial enhancement, inviting viewers to engage with a nuanced exploration of identity and culture.

Clare Gemima: As a final question, what is on the horizon after Venice? Where will your work next be exhibited, and how will Mythologiques extend into your next body of work? 

Tomokazu Matsuyama: After Venice, I’ll be planning a solo exhibition in Tokyo scheduled for next March. This show will build on the immersive space achieved in Venice, utilizing an even larger setting to create a dialogue between past influences and future directions. My aim is to deepen the themes explored in Mythologiques, inviting viewers to journey through layered narratives and evolving perspectives. This expansive Tokyo setting will provide a space that both honors tradition and opens doors to new interpretations within a contemporary context.

Black Hole Hunter, 2023. Stainless steel. 166 x 180 x 196 in. Photo courtesy of Tomokazu Matsuyama studios.

Tomokazu Matsuyama. Mythologiques. April 20 – November 24, 2024. 60th Venice Biennale. Magazzino No. 41, Marina Militare,  Arsenale di Venezia, Italy