Painter TAKE (Takeaki Kawamura) smiles as he poses for a photo in front of his work, at the Tenri Gallery in New York on May 16 (photo by Morita).
The NY exhibition was the catalyst for his global expansion
Overcoming a stroke, A dream solo exhibition project that challenged NYC
Resurrection from the depths of despair
One day, TAKE (Takeaki Kawamura), a painter, suddenly lost his speech, his hearing, and the ability to move his dominant hand. He was 34 years old when he suffered a stroke and lost everything. However, he rose from the depths of deep despair and continued to believe in his own potential for 24 years. With his life’s ambition in his heart, he decided to take up the challenge of going to New York. In May, 2025, he held his first solo exhibition, “TOBIDASU ART – Breaking Boundaries” in New York.
TAKE was born in 1967 in Anan City, Tokushima Prefecture. Currently, he is energetically active, holding solo exhibitions throughout Japan and giving as many as 650 lectures. With the help of supporters spread across the country, his dream solo exhibition project in New York has been realized.
Visitors viewing the artworks. The work at the far end is “Beyond the Limits: TAKE, the Tortoise, and the Miracle of New York” at the Tenri Gallery in New York on May 16 (photo by Morita).
Dreams come true ahead of challenges
Speech at the NY Solo Exhibition Opening Reception
I am very excited. I never thought I would be able to have a solo exhibition in such a wonderful venue in New York. I would like to thank you all for your support. 24 years ago, I had a stroke that left me severely disabled, and I was in deep despair. I started painting with a brush in my left hand after seeing Takeshi Kitano’s movie “HANABI”. I was surprised myself. I can paint with my left hand. It was a time when I went from despair to hope. From that moment on, I never thought I would be able to hold a solo exhibition in New York. From then on, I spent my days trying my hand at selling my works on the street. I received a solo exhibition at Takashimaya, and then a solo exhibition in New York. I guess dreams come true when you take on challenges. Thank you all very much. I am still in the middle of my dream. I was 57 years old and an idiotic old man full of dreams.
The speech that TAKE had thought up in advance was delivered by his wife Ikuko, who had witnessed and walked with him through the challenge from the closest distance, reading it for him.
Expressing a way of life through artwork
The theme of TAKE’s representative artwork is “art that jumps out of the box(TOBIDASU ART). This expresses TAKE’s way of life itself, which is to jump out of the frame without being confined to the confines of the frame.
He says, “The way I use an electric saw to join pieces of wood, and then jump out of the frame, is my life itself, breaking the rules and going beyond my boundaries.” The flying turtle was the beginning of TAKE’s challenge to paint with his left hand.
“If you believe in your potential and go beyond your boundaries, the turtle will fly! Nothing is impossible,” he says, conveying his passion to the world through his art. His challenge to New York was a step toward full-fledged global expansion.
The exhibition was visited by many fans from Japan, from adults to children, on May 16 at Tenri Gallery in New York (Photo: Morita)
■New work produced for NY solo exhibition■
Beyond the Giant Wave of Obstacle: TAKE’s Tobidas Art The giant tobidas ridges that cover the entire screen approach the skyscrapers of New York City in the distance, moving in a circular motion, just as Hokusai depicted their dynamism. The composition naturally draws the viewer’s gaze toward the giant city that appears beyond the fury of nature. The four similarly shaped waves face each other with the mountain-like New York buildings at their center, creating a unique sense of perspective and stability in the midst of the wild movement.
The Dragon Receives the Flame: New York leaps for joy! The Statue of Liberty, who had held up her torch for so long, entrusted it to the dragon, and she and the city were filled with joy!
Beyond the Limits: TAKE, the Tortoise, and the Miracle of New York By depicting the unrealistic scene of a turtle flying in the sky, the exhibition expresses TAKE’s way of life to make the impossible possible.
THE GLOBAL BLOOM. The energy and creativity of New York City are concentrated in this work, which uses a round canvas as if it were the earth. The skyscrapers of New York City, which seem to leap out of the canvas, symbolize the dynamism of the city and its strength to continue growing toward the future.
■Information■
[Web]「TAKE’s world」www.hyougensya-take.com/
[Online shopping]「TAKE’s world」hyougensya.buyshop.jp/
（Published in the June 14, 2025 issue）
