9s Gallery is pleased to present "KAIJU - Awakening", a solo exhibition by Mantiko Mantis from February 14 (Fri) to February 22 (Sat), 2025.
A woman with a sharp dorsal fin and piercing gaze. This new "KAIJU" series, which was unveiled at ART TAIPEI in October 2024, will be fully developed in the solo exhibition "KAIJU - Awakening" in February 2025.
In this article, wepresent an interview focusing on thesolo exhibition " KAIJU -Awakening-".
Mantis is an artist who challenges to "reconstruct beauty painting.
She is a fast-growing artist who has attracted a great deal of attention, exhibiting her works at overseas art fairs in Busan, Taipei, and Dubai, as well as at Art Fair Tokyo 2023.
In August 2023, she also collaborated with big names such as Yayoi Kusama and KYNE in the group exhibition "SIGNS OF A NEW CULTURE" at GINZA SIX, Art Grolleau.
In the same month, seven works were exhibited at the solo exhibition "Do girls dream of Electric City?" at TRiCERA, nine works at the "27" exhibition in January 2024, and 15 works at the "Kiriko gram - #StillTheResistance" exhibition in August 2024, all of which sold out. The "27" exhibition was held in February 2024.
The expectations of the contemporary art world are increasing, as evidenced by the 151 purchase orders received for the works exhibited at the "100 People 10" exhibition held in February 2024.
The Reason for Painting "KAIJU
-What is the meaning behind the title of this exhibition, "KAIJU - Awakening"?
KAIJU" is a new series of works that depicts the fusion of women and the city as the embodiment of the frustration of urban people's anxiety and sense of entrapment. In "City," I expressed the beauty of individual people living in a huge city, but this time I depict the existence of the city as a collective entity.
The first work in the series was actually presented as "KAIJU #1" at Art Taipei last October. At the time, however, I had not yet fully grasped what I wanted to depict in the work. I was just at the stage of creating the work with just the urge to give it shape.
KAIJU #1 (exhibited at ART TAIPEI 2024 *Not scheduled to be exhibited at the "KAIJU Awakening" exhibition)
As I continued to work over time, I began to connect myself to past cultures and contexts, and began to look at what I could say about the future. In that sense, I titled this exhibition the "KAIJU" series and my own "awakening.
In previous exhibitions, Mantis has often worked out a detailed concept in advance before starting work, but the "KAIJU" series was born from a different approach, he says.
I think an important part of the "KAIJU" series is that I started the work without knowing what I wanted to depict and from a situation that wasn't quite right. In fact, as I was painting, something else started to emerge, and I, as the artist, felt as if I was following it, which was a strange sensation.
KAIJU #4
-What was the source of inspiration for your work?
As I mentioned in my statement, I was inspired by the special effects movie Godzilla. It has such a strong meaning to me that I initially thought of using "Godzilla" for the title. My childhood was the heyday of the "Heisei VS Series" of Godzilla movies, in which Godzilla and other monsters fight, and I used to go to the movie theater every summer vacation. At that time, Godzilla was very unique among anime, comics, Ultraman, and other special effects films."
Godzilla is an existence that cannot be captured by the dualism of justice or evil. Godzilla is an existence that cannot be captured by the dualism of righteousness or evil, and it will remain strongly in Mantis' mind.
Everyone hates Godzilla, but in the end he somehow saves the earth and disappears. As a young boy who only knew about justice, Godzilla was an existence that made little sense to me. As I grew up and learned about various things, I came to understand that true justice and true evil are two sides of the same coin, and that what I thought was justice actually had a different aspect behind the scenes.
I came to understand that humans are not good, but they are still not to be discarded. ......I felt that Godzilla was close to that kind of position, as if he had given up on human nature somewhere, but also believed in it. KAIJU is also born out of people's fears and anxieties, but it is also a being that has hopes and prayers to break through the status quo."
The world woven by the four series
-In addition to the "KAIJU" series, the "City," "KAIKA," and "SAITA" series will also be on display at the solo exhibition. What is the relationship between these series?
In the new "City" series, "In Tokyo," I chose locations famous for scenes of the first Godzilla's rampage, such as the Wako Building in Ginza and Kasumigaseki, as the backdrop. Kasumigaseki symbolizes the center of politics, while the Wako Building is a place of consumption where city dwellers seek various things. Each is an important place in the depiction of human society." In depicting the KAIJU as a symbol of people's anxieties, I wanted to show that the monster is connected to our everyday lives."
In Tokyo #15
It is interesting to note that the faces of the women in each series are intentionally similar.
In "City," the faces of women in the city are similar to those in the series. The people who live in the city in "City" become "KAIJU" and are also connected to the women in "KAIKA" and "SAITA". Everything is an expression of human beings themselves and what they have created.
In Tokyo #16
Expression that depicts human beings as a whole, good and evil
-In your works, I have the impression that the boundaries between people and backgrounds, or between people and motifs, are drawn ambiguously.
The works seem to me to depict ambiguity between people and backgrounds, or between people and motifs. "I am expressing the ambiguity of neither right nor wrong, and the intervening parts of fear and prayer. For example, in "Kaika #15," a black silhouette of a woman's body and a branch are depicted as one whole. I dared to create a part of the work in which it is impossible to tell from where to what. I wanted to leave a blank space that could be interpreted differently by different viewers.
This focus on ambiguity is an important characteristic of Mantidoko's work.
My work is often discussed in the context of illustration art or comics, but I want to set myself apart from that. Comics is a medium in which the pose and meaning must be clearly explained the moment the page is opened. But paintings are different. It can be interpreted as the viewer wants to see it. The story is as varied as the number of viewers. That is the crucial difference."
KAIKA #15
The technical challenges in the creation of the work are also an important element that supports this expression.
In terms of layers, I wanted to break down the distinction between backgrounds and figures. As you can see in this work, the background is more raised than the people. This is an expression that would never be possible in manga or anime. The layers are always the person in front and the background behind. By overturning this common sense, I hope to explore new ways of expression.
-How do you plan to develop the "KAIJU" series in the future?
To be honest, I am still in a state of exploration. To be honest, I am still in a state of exploration. I have no idea how this series will develop, since it includes aspects that I cannot control. However, in a sense, it has been a well-balanced production style for me to work on the "City" and "SAITA" series, in which I have a definite theme in mind, and the "KAIJU" series, in which I draw without knowing what the theme will be. I think I will continue in this way for a while.
-Lastly, do you have a message for visitors to the exhibition?
I made the works this time with a particular focus on the power that can be felt when looking at the real thing. For example, the background of "KAIJU #4" is so intense that you can't see it in the photo. By layering red on top of black, we were able to express the overlap and depth of the colors. In areas where the red is light, the black of the background is subtly exposed, creating a unique texture.
Previous solo exhibition Kiriko gram - #StillTheResistanceIn her last solo exhibition, "Kiriko gram - #StillTheResistance," she created works connected to social issues, but this time she has gone into a more personal expression.
This time, however, Mantis has gone more into personal expression. Rather than trying to gain sympathy on the surface, I delved into my inner self, and as a result, I think I found something universal in human nature. That is the expression "KAIJU. I would be happy if something resonates with visitors to the exhibition.
All exhibited works will be sold by lottery.
All new works exhibited at this exhibition will be sold by lottery.
Applications will be accepted until February 22nd at 19:00.
You can apply for the lottery by clicking on the artwork page in the list of artworks below.
Exhibition Outline
Dates: 2025/2/14 (Fri.) to 2025/2/22 (Sat.)
Opening hours: 12:00 - 19:00
Closed: 2/17 (Mon.)
Scheduled artist presence: 2/15 (Sat), 2/22 (Sat)
Venue:9s Gallery by TRiCERA
The Wall 3F, 4-2-4 Nishiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0031
Access: Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line Roppongi station 10 min. walk, Hiroo station 10 min. walk
10 minutes walk from Nogizaka station on Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line
Contact: 03-5422-8370
For inquiries about this exhibition
