Takao Sakata, who has been keep having annual installation at AG Gallery for over 3 years, has a long career as glass-work artist live and work in Shiga, Japan. He would like to introduce, not only audience also other glass-work artists in the world, the new era of glass-work art which must be created from a strong passion to breakthrough the conventionality of current “glass art”.

This is his fourth year of appearance in annual summer installation at AG Gallery. He also preys repose of victims’ souls of the Tohoku Earthquake on March 11, 2011 in the works, “KUKAI NO HOTORI (On the bank of suffering)”.

Artist Statement

“When we look at the glass-work art in nowadays, I can only see weak, cheap, and flatter works. They are called “the modern glass art” or “the world glass art” and seen as if they are the real art. Glass artisans without strong belief or knowledge and the lack of outstanding glass-work art critics abstract making progress of the art. The substantial of art is to express nature, society and human being through clear senses and techniques. It means the attribute of glass material doesn’t produce any arts. Marcel Duchamp signed that people in this century had been completely blind to the art. It is also the severe criticism to “the modern glass-work art.”

Artists accused a falsehood of an era with their insanity that is inherent in themselves, which is a reason why many Western artists have been respected. Those artists risked their lives through their representations. Social value of artists does not change at any time; artists are useless all the time.

Young artists should think carefully. Artists are the ones who decide to gaze live and death; memento mori, in all creations universally. You must not rely on what critics think about your works. In solitude, you have to let time pass. You should not let representations calm and rip off this century. “

—Takao Sakata

Takao Sakata
Live and work in Shiga, Japan
Graduated from Tokyo Glass Art Institute

The annual gallery installation “Anti-Glassworks 2014” is on view from August 22 through August 28, 2014. AG Gallery opens everyday from 12pm to 8pm during the show period.