天野健Takeru Amano

Takeru Amano was born with a pencil in his hand. His whole family was drawing; it was part of their daily life. He therefore didn’t go to art school. What could a school teach him that he didn’t already know? The Takeru Amano we celebrate today, was already there.

His world is unique and childlike, inspired by the Japanese culture of the end of the 20th century in which he grew up. Takeru uses classical, philosophical or even mythological subjects and mixes them with neo-pop aesthetics and often a touch of humour. Think of a Venus with a lemon. Or the Virgin Mary sketched in bright neon colours. It can be surprising to see these well-known (Western) icons, from his Tokyo pop perspective, surreal even.

In 2020, Takeru Amano published his first art book, Icons. Since then, his career has soared, with international recognition and exhibitions all over the world.