INDEX
The Frenetic Climax of 2D and 3D Exploration
In what can be considered the climax of the exhibition, Chapter 10 unfolds with large canvases and three-dimensional works filling the expansive gallery space. It resembles a cheery form of hell. The chapter title, “Baku no Fuda” (translated as “Baku’s Talisman”), which is also the title of a recent artist book by Tanaami (2017), serves as a crucial key to understanding the artist’s world and summarizing the exhibition.
According to the explanatory panel, “Baku no Fuda” refers to a talisman placed under the pillow to wish for auspicious dreams or a protective charm (the idea of a Baku consuming nightmares is a somewhat familiar concept). For Keiichi Tanaami, his works are precisely these “Baku no Fuda”—charms meant to dispel fear and negative emotions.
Indeed, the motifs that burst forth from the artist—eyes, skeletons, genitalia, spiders, and flames—are all both obsessively grotesque and humorously absurd, pushing the boundaries of what is visually tolerable. While it might be excessive to attribute everything to childhood wartime experiences, the sheer magnitude of such vivid and monstrous imagery within his mind suggests a profound and deep-seated fear. This is why the artist unleashes these swollen, inflated memories from within himself, surrounding them with his creations like sentinels or watchdogs.
