Tylakulka paints thoughtful works about human freedom and relationships using dogs as a motif.
Her style of painting, which depicts unique colors and compositions with a graceful brush stroke, has gained popularity, and she was selected for the 100 Artists 10, 2023/2024.
100 Artists 10 2023/24: "mother" (2024)
9s Gallery will present "UPDRAFT," a group exhibition of five up-and-coming artists who attracted attention at 100 Artists 10, including Tyla Kulka, from 100 Artists 10 2023/24, from May 18 (Sat) to June 1 (Sun), 2024. Saturday, May 18, 2024 ~ Saturday, June 1, 2024.
This article introduces the concept and his attitude as an artist through an interview with Tylakulka.
Born in Tokyo in 2000.
Started his career as an artist with his solo exhibition "Shiten" in 2022.
Drawing dogs as motifs, she presents works that question the gap between her own and others' perceptions of the freedom that humans are born with.
He won the OJUN Award in 2022, the Ueno Royal Museum Grand Prize in 2023, and the Grand Prize of the ACT Art Grand Prize in 2023.
The starting point of his work is the question, "Is the dog a free creature?" is the starting point of his work.
-What is the concept behind your works?
I present a series of works on various themes in each exhibition, but at the core of my work is the awareness that I want to question the gap between my own and others' perceptions of the freedom that we humans are born with.
In the early stages of my career, I created works depicting people with the theme of young people's non-participation in politics, but about two years ago, I began to paint works using "dogs" as the main motif.
Japanese politics" (2022)
What led me to "dogs" was that one day I saw a dog walking on a leash and wondered if dogs are free creatures. Dogs are described as companions or friends to humans, but they are basically leashed, bred, and sold like commodities.
With this idea in mind, I initially depicted dogs as "beings living in limited freedom.
On the other hand, the dog is walking freely, wagging its tail and looking up at its owner's face from time to time. From the dog's own appearance, I don't sense anything like "hatred toward humans" or "breaking free from domination. Thinking about it that much, I realized that I had been imposing a one-sided impression of dogs as "crippled-looking.
While undergoing such a transition in my thinking, I am now painting works that express human preconceptions and egos through dogs.
Also, it is difficult to tell the age or gender of a dog just from its appearance. Therefore, I think there is an advantage in that it is easy to create a screen that gives different impressions depending on the viewer as to what is depicted in the painting. When I paint a human being, the viewer unconsciously judges whether the person is a man or a woman, but dogs are flat in this respect, so I think it expands the world of the work more.
Diverse themes born from the attitude of always thinking about what to depict
-What are some of the themes that you have taken up recently?
Recently, I created a work on the theme of music composed by Schubert. I have always loved music history, and I am particularly interested in songs written by composers and poets working together. For example, Schubert's "Wild Roses," to which Goethe added a poem.
Left: "D.275 Rose" (2024) Right: "D.275 Lose" (2024)
I think that the scene imagined in music changes depending on the person listening to it. I wanted to do the same thing with my paintings, trusting in the imagination of the viewer and daring not to draw boundaries, leaving it up to the viewer to decide what these colored surfaces represent.
-When we talk to you, we feel that you have various sources of inspiration. Do you always think about the theme of your works?
I always try to think about what I am going to draw, and I take a lot of notes in my sketchbook. I have enjoyed reading books since I was in junior high school, and I often come up with ideas from the Kojiki and Greek mythology that I have been reading since then. In the early days of my career as an artist, I also drew a series based on Shinichi Hoshi's "Dinosaurs in the Afternoon. I have a habit of thinking up stories in my head, and I still read a lot of books as material for creating backgrounds and worldviews.
-Tairaku's works are also impressive in terms of composition.
I am always conscious of not painting too many motifs in the empty space and not putting too many colors on top of each other.
I was taught this when I was a student at an art school, and I felt that my style would be mass-produced. I would say things like, "The composition is a bit sad, so let's put something in this space," or "Let's add depth to the oil painting by layering the colors over and over again.
When I started my career as an artist, I especially tried to forget such instructions and consciously practiced painting with a wide open space. I feel that I arrived at my current painting style through a process of trial and error.
About the works to be exhibited in the May group exhibition
-Please tell us about the works you will be exhibiting in the May exhibition.
Character (2024)
This time, I would like to develop various aspects from the theme of "differentness.
Recently, I saw a video on SNS of a shy girl getting her hair cut by a hairdresser to give herself a makeover. The purpose of the video is to show the before and after of a girl who gets a haircut by a hairdresser. The girl barely speaks, and her mother explains her entire order: "This is the kind of child I am, and I want to overcome my shyness, so I want my hair to look like this.
At first, I felt that this way of being between mother and daughter was very overprotective. However, in this day and age when various types of relationships are accepted, I thought it was wrong to unilaterally dismiss them as "different. Then, I would like to create a work that projects various questions such as why I felt uncomfortable, and what is the line between relationships that are accepted and those that are not. ......
-That's a pretty bold theme.
Actually, whatever the theme is, I also try to never let it appear on the surface of the work. I think of a painting that hangs in a room as a landscape seen through a window. At that time, it would be hard if the view from the room is too heavy, wouldn't it?
So, even when the viewer is tired, I try to make the surface of the work appear bright so that the viewer will not be overburdened when looking at it.
Outline of the exhibition
《 "UPDRAFT" Rising Artist from 100 10 2023/24
Dates: May 18, 2024 (Sat) to June 1, 2024 (Sat)
Opening hours: 12:00 - 19:00
Opening party (invitation only): 5/17(Fri.)
Last day: 18:00 CLOSE
Closed: Sunday and Monday
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
