Romana Machin Tanimura

The Whitestone Ginza New Gallery is holding a group exhibition entitled "Dimensions II" featuring the works of six gifted young artists, as a project to nurture the future of contemporary art. Its goal is to discover new talent and create opportunities for their presentation. And by exhibiting the works of several artists in the same space, it aims to bring new perspectives for both the viewers and the artists themselves.

For this exhibition, we conducted interviews with the six participating artists in order to reveal their inner worlds. We asked them the same set of questions to find out how they developed their current artistic expressions, and unravel the relationship between art and modern society as depicted in their artworks.

Proving Herself through Art

Group Exhibition of Gifted Artists: Dimensions II

1. What inspired your journey as an artist, and what continues to fuel your creative passion?

ー My mother used to work in an art-related job, and it got me involved with many different artists, so I naturally started creating art myself.

I persist in creating art because I believe that my life is deeply intertwined with the world of art, and I'm inspired to continually improve and learn from my peers.

2. What do you think are the characteristics that define your artworks?

ー My use of urethane foam as a canvas, and the way I use an airbrush to paint my works while making prolific use of masking tape.

Romana Machin Tanimura "Burning Lightning! [Infinity Colombia]", (2023, 41.0 × 28.2 × 39.5 cm, glue stick/wire/acrylic/wooden board)

3. Your artwork entitled "Infinity Colombia" is a key visual of the exhibition. What kind of work is it?

ー It is a character named "Infinity Colombia" who runs across America to satisfy his need for speed. He crosses the land and the sea, crosses the sound barrier, crosses the atmosphere, and even crosses space and time. Where will he reach after running across space and time? Is there an end to his journey!?

4. Are there any artists or artworks that influenced you? What do you like about them?

ー Pieter Bruegel the Elder. I like the way his paintings are crammed with characters who look cute but also somewhat creepy.

Group Exhibition of Gifted Artists: Dimensions II

5. What does "art" mean to you?

ー Everyday life.

6. What are your expectations from this group exhibition?

ー I would be happy if even a few people find it interesting spontaneously.

7. What are your plans for the future?

ー I want to find new materials and forms that will resonates with me.

Romana Machin Tanimura "Cow-formed Flying living form [Moo Cow Cow] (Gray ver.)", (2022, 151.3 × 106.0 × 14.0 cm, urethane foam/wire/hemp string/acrylic)

With their stunning visual appearance and sensational titles, Tanimura's works will make viewers drop their defenses with a kind of euphoria similar to that of a child finding their favorite toy. Each and every one of her characters will catch us off guard and make us smile while giving us tremendous power.

The "Group Exhibition of Gifted Artists: Dimensions II" will run until October 21, 2023. If you can't make it in person, don't worry! You can explore the exhibition anytime online through the Whitestone Gallery Online Store

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ROMANA MACHIN TANIMURA
Born in Tokyo, Romana Machin Tanimura graduated from Tohoku University of Art and Design, Art Department, with a major in Oil Painting (‘award of excellence’ at the exhibition of graduation project) in 2020. Consecutively, she got her master’s degree from the same university and department (specialty in Culture and the Arts) in 2023. By representing the symbols of people’s childishness and obsession such as polyvinyl chlorides or figures of imaginary heroes and monsters beyond the limit of painting, Romana Machin Tanimura has been opening a crack drastically in the conventional context of ‘art’. Intense visual impact and usage of materials that blow the viewer’s mind, and playfulness of words from which contingency is totally removed－her uniqueness has been the focus of attention. At the previous group exhibition “Dimensions” which was held in the Whitestone Ginza New Gallery in 2021, her works caught the eyes of art collectors. The artist comes back to Whitestone living up to expectations.