9s Gallery is pleased to announce the exhibition "Ruten" by Tylakulka from Friday, 11/15/2024 to Sunday, 11/24/2024.

In this interview, he talks about his exhibition "Fire," the story behind it, and his new challenges as an artist.

- First of all, could you tell us about the theme of this exhibition?

The title of this exhibition is "Ruten," which is written in Chinese characters as "Ryuten. This word means not staying in one state, but constantly changing. It can also be translated as "reincarnation.
The works in this exhibition depict the daily evolution of the things I draw and the landscapes I see from my point of view at that time. I usually draw my works inspired by books I was reading or music I was listening to at the time, but this time I decided to use Buddhism, from which the word "reincarnation" is derived, as a motif. When you actually read about the origins of Buddhism and the episodes that were passed down to propagate the teachings of Buddha, the stories are quite outlandish and interesting.
For example, at this exhibition, I will be showing a work called "Fire," which was inspired by a Buddhist painting called "Shashin Shikozu," which depicts a tiger being kept at the abandonment of its body.

Fire," a work inspired by the Buddhist painting "Shashin Shikozu.

Fire" (2024)


Fire" is a painting inspired by the motif of "The Tiger Who Lost His Life." It depicts a scene in which a prince (believed to be the previous life of the Buddha) is out in the mountains and happens to meet a hungry tiger and its cub, and offers himself to them in order to feed them. It is said to illustrate the teaching that when we see people in difficulty, we should not merely feel sorry for them, but actually take action, and I thought that the teaching itself was wonderful.
On the other hand, I was uncomfortable with the idea of praising self-sacrifice too much as a beautiful story. If there is a person who has taken action for the sake of others by reducing himself/herself, I think that person also needs people to extend a helping hand to him or her.
Today, we are in a time when only negative incidents are broadcast on social networking sites, and socially, we have been in a recession for 30 years, making it difficult to find hope for the future. In such a situation, I think it is not uncommon for those who help others to be "hungry tigers" who are themselves suffering from something. That is why I drew "Fire" to explore the "cycle of conscience," in which we do not just admire someone's self-sacrifice, but also to see that another person who sees it will extend a helping hand to ....... I painted "Fire.


*Famous in China for its depiction in the Dunhuang Grottoes and in Japan for its depiction in the Tamamushi Kitchen, a national treasure at Horyuji Temple.

Aiming to create a work that can be read and understood in multiple senses

-The dog in "Fire" is in the process of throwing itself into flames for the sake of others, but there is no sense of tragedy.

Yes, the dog's expressionless face is daring, as this work was inspired by the discomfort of celebrating self-sacrifice. To begin with, the theme of each work itself is something that I delve into by linking ideas from the classics and daily life with my own original experiences, but I have a strong desire to create a screen that viewers can read and interpret freely.

In order to broaden the interpretation of each work, I try to focus on the theme of each work as much as possible, not to paint too much, and to use bright colors .......


-I understand that you are planning to create works using various motifs and techniques other than "Fire" for this solo exhibition.

Actually, I chose "Ruten" as the title of the exhibition because I wanted to show the next development as an artist. I have been drawing dogs since the beginning of my career, and I would like to continue to do so, but I would like to try other motifs such as humans and horses in the future.






-You mentioned that you would like to try other motifs besides dogs, and in fact, you will be exhibiting a portrait of an old woman this time, right?

Yes, this work is actually a sibling to "Fire," in which I depicted a burning dog in the woman's eyes.

As I mentioned earlier, I think there are many people today who are starving themselves and are forced to choose whether or not to give something to others who are also suffering. The woman I depicted in this work is symbolic of such people for me.

In fact, she is modeled on the grandmother of the main character, Charlie, in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The main character's entire family is impoverished. Furthermore, she and the main character's four grandparents are almost bedridden and live with Charlie's parents, who take care of them. Even in such a situation, the grandparents give Charlie as much help as they can. They manage to raise the money to buy a piece of chocolate, for example.

In the end, Charlie and his family are lucky to be saved by Wonka, but if not, it makes me wonder who will save his grandparents? For me, she is the first person that comes to mind as a "hungry tiger," so I chose her as the motif for this work.

I am nervous because it has been a long time since I have exhibited human portraits, but I hope that by exhibiting with "Fire," I can express the "flow" of conscience that saves the "starving tiger.


-I am also impressed by the expression of a small dog scattered on the screen.

The black-and-white dog around the woman's face was inspired by ashes that are still on fire.
I have been using the expression of a small dog scattered in the picture plane for a long time. I started this work because I wanted to depict both the dog's own point of view and the dog's point of view from the outside in the picture.

In the sense that the existence of the dog itself develops into a separate picture, you could say that it is connected to the overall theme of the exhibition, "diversion".

Also, in terms of future challenges, I would like to try a variety of mediums, not limited to oil painting. For example, I am thinking that clay or three-dimensional media might be a good way to express the ever-changing "ruten," for example. I don't know if it will actually become an exhibition piece.
I would like to break down my own stereotypes in the process of creation, and I also hope that the viewers of my works will expand the world of my works through their own interpretations.

Exhibition Outline

Tyla Kulka's solo exhibition "Ruten
Dates: Friday, November 15, 2024 - Sunday, November 24, 2024
Opening hours: 12:00 - 19:00
Opening party: 11/15(Fri.) 18:00-20:00
　Everyone is welcome to attend.
Closed: 11/18(Mon.)

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