Japan in Miniatures - Tatsuya Tanaka
The work of photographer Tatsuya Tanaka depicts the landscape and culture of Japan using “mitate,” a traditional Japanese concept that suggests new interpretations for objects.
Exhibition Display Overview (2023-05-16/2023-10-15) by Japan House São PauloJAPAN HOUSE São Paulo
Japanese photographer Tatsuya Tanaka captures scenes of cherry blossoms, Mount Fuji, sushi restaurants, manual and martial arts, and traditional Japanese festivities in miniature form, inspired by the 'mitate' concept.
Scenes depicted with changes in perspective and scale
In total, there are 37 works crafted using elements such as shells, foods like noodles and sushi, makeup items, straws, clothespins, fans, and other objects from Japanese daily life.
In the original exhibition 'Japan in Miniatures - Tatsuya Tanaka,' it is possible to recognize brush bristles that turn into rice crops, Japanese fermented soy packaging, natto, which is reminiscent of the architecture of an important Japanese castle, sushi lined up on mats reminiscent of trains and cars in traffic, and even green straws that could be confused with a bamboo grove based on the perspective and scale change.
The 'mitate' concept
Known internationally for his Miniature Calendar project in social media, Tanaka illustrates the “mitate” concept throughout his work, in which miniature art is photographed with a theme of diorama dolls and everyday objects.
The practice of mimicry is believed to be rooted in the Japanese culture - which has always lived in harmony with nature - in order to compensate for missing or empty objects using imagination. Literature, tea ceremony, gardening, Edo period entertainment (Kabuki and Rakugo), and gastronomy retain this aesthetic sense.
“This small universe he creates is marked by his almost fantastic perception, which is reminiscent of a child’s pure imagination of things, constantly renewing and reformulating their meanings,” explains Japan House São Paulo cultural director and exhibition curator Natasha Barzaghi Geenen.
Furthermore, Tanaka also makes a point of incorporating a small forest of broccoli, the vegetable that first inspired him to make miniatures and photographs, into the exhibition that welcomes visitors to the Japan House São Paulo space: “It was broccoli that inspired me to think of other ways to use objects. When I say that they look like trees, people all over the world can relate to that idea,” he remarks.
Original work for the exhibition at JHSP
The exhibition also features a scale model created specifically for this exhibition in Brazil and based on conversations between the artist and JHSP. Rice and beans were the primary materials used:
“When I heard about ‘feijoada,’ a dish that is eaten with rice, as is karê, I thought about the possibility of using this typical dish to express white sand and the sea. I also found out that there are sidewalks in Rio de Janeiro with patterns of waves made of black and white stones. Japanese people are also familiar with black beans and rice, and despite being on opposite sides of the world, Brazil and Japan have similar aspects in their cultures,” says the photographer.
About Tatsuya Tanaka
Born in Kumamoto, in Japan, in 1981, he graduated from Kagoshima University’s School of Education.
He is a photographer and, since 2011, has conducted the “Miniature Calendar” project, in which he reimagines and reframes everyday objects, proposing miniature scenes and images. Since then, he has presented his creations on the Internet every day. With unusual works that bring together elements of surprise and humor, Tanaka connects with the audience virtually and in person, holding exhibitions in Japan and internationally.
His account on Instagram has more than 3.7 million followers, and his exhibitions that circulate in Japan and the world have already been seen by more than two million people. Check it out here!
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