Daisuke Takeya

Le Petite Canadian Art Collection launched!!!

daisuke — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 05:38:24 +0000

I sort of started collecting Canadian art. It is paralleled to my creative process of art making … Artist actually spending money to buy art created by other artists: What more can you do to support art industry in Canada?

I remember buying 2 works of Marcel Dzama at Olga Korper Gallery in 2001. They were my first Canadian art collections. He had his first solo show in Toronto and also was on the cover of NOW Magazine. I had my Canadian solo debut show at Christopher Cutts Gallery at the same time … Olga Korper and Christopher Cutts sit on the same gallery complex on Morrow Avenue. As a matter of fact our invitation card was printed on the same matrix by the same printer. His show was sold out and mine wasn’t. But when I see the proof nicely framed and hung in my apartment, my work is no lesser to Dzama’s. Having critical works by artists I like inspires and motivates me!

For now I call the collection, “Le Petite Canadian Art Collection” = because it is a modest collection of small scale artworks (and a deli in my building is called Le Petite Gourmet!!). Whimsy collection it is for now. Let’s see how it grows:)

Light from 311/ Kesennuma: Official project poster painting

daisuke — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 06:16:38 +0000

January 1st, 2012, solitary in my Rosedale residence. It has been good so that I can focus on my commission paintings overdue from Christmas. One work to be done is a landscape painting of Kesennuma city, Miyagi prefecture, one of the most devastated cities of tsunami/earthquake in Japan on March 11th 2011. After the tsunami the city was covered by fire for few days and left with missing people, destroyed cityscape, debris, and ashes … it seemed for many that it would take few years before they could start rebuilding its industry, namely fishing and seafood processing. After few months though all the debris were removed from the streets by locals and volunteers from around the globe and now they have reopened their traditional “Ryokan” hotels, “Sento” public baths, “Izakaya” Japanese style pubs and even “Yokocho” shopping streets in temporary structures. Breath-taking!!! Young leaders got together and created a group called, “Kiraku kai (Enjoying Kesennuma group),” and they have been very active networking and rebuilding the local business and tourism. One of their big projects is March 11th memorial in 2012, and they have commissioned me to create a new painting of the city in “Kara” style to symbolize the project … ironically the series that I once named “Perfect World.” This 36 x 48 inches painting will be a kick start for my 2012, and is so significant for me because my humanitarian volunteer work and professional art practice has naturally emerged … I am so honoured to be a part of the long term rebuilding process … just got started.

Clara Venice is a Fiddler Diva on the Roof!

daisuke — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 20:38:57 +0000

One evening on the rooftop of a house in Yorkville … ex- punk cultural hip area now a Toronto’s high-end neighourhood with fashion boutiques and triple stared restaurants … here comes a shinning pop icon Clara Venice performing her repertoire with her electroacoustic guitar and violin, and video projection of a bizaar animation by Ken Ogawa, tightly fashioned gent with a distinctive style.

The rooftop was surrounded by newly built condos with glass walls and windows, and Ken’s projection … created this 25 acres space like a gigantic theatre!! Towards the end even the police came near by curiously, warning them to turn down the music … it was perfect at the down … natural light accentuating her love songs in French … Bon Nuit!

Meet me under the willow tree … Music in the garden series in the music garden

daisuke — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 17:17:34 +0000

It was raining in the morning … nice and cool in summer but I was a little disaapointed because I was looking forward to the concert of Summer Music in the Garden at Toronto Music Garden, curated by Tamara Bernstein. “Toronto Music Garden was designed by internationally renowned cellist Yo Yo Ma and landscape designer Julie Moir Messervy, as a reflection in landscape of Bach’s Suite No. 1 in G Major for unaccompanied cello, BWV 1007, in collaboration with landscape architects from the City of Toronto’s Parks and Recreation department.” – from its website.

I was to meet with my friend under the willow tree there that day … it stopped raining eventually … I went there anyway not knowing if she was going to show up.

Nice breeze from the Lake Ontario, an additional layer to beautiful sound of the evening … Music for string trio and oboe by Mozart, Beethoven and Britten, performed by Sharon Lee and her friends.

Sang Kim … King of Kensington Market and his talented friends!

daisuke — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:39:17 +0000

Last weekend of every month in Kensington is so much fan! The streets are closed for pedestrians filled with festivities to wonder about and it makes this neighbourhood so unique … and that’s where my friend Sang Kim resides. Sang is like a big brother to me even though I have known him not so long. We seem to know the same people from variety of different communities. ”Woody Allen ate my Kimchi,” is his latest book, long awaited by many of his fans … I have read some excerpts of the book at NOTES OF A NATIVE SPEAKER, Sang’s personal blog. By reading through his blog I found out that he is also a good chef (well, for many people he is known as a successful figure in the restaurant world). His new book is such a significant contribution stuffed with the behind the scene episodes from Toronto’s culinary culture history … I feel so grateful for him archiving Toronto’s multi-culture!!

It was fun helping him to skew his BBQ items(can’t even remember how many … reminded me of my sushi chef years in New York … preparing shrimps for four straight hours every week, and it was 30 seconds per shrimp … I could not see my own hands because it was super fast move!! ) … and playing with his “Princes Kiki” was also so much fun(but treat your servant more gently, your majesty, please!! ).

It was such a nice Sunday afternoon meeting with his good friends … one of them was Diana Tso, a talented playwright whose theatre production, Red Snow will be premiered in January 12 -28, 2012 presented at Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace.

Fencer vs. Samurai … pouring rain made it a real street fight!!

daisuke — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:40:30 +0000

“Fencer vs. Samurai” was premeired at BIG on Bloor Street Festival’s Bloor Alternative Art Fair(BAAF) on Saturday, July 23, 2011. With my former student, Nils Fischer, we constructed a semi closed cage or a stage on Bloor street. A hot day without a shade, a heat breeze blowing on our faces made us look so tired and sweat to fight … but we fought anyway in the name of paints! Towards the end of the day, suddenly it started pouring rain, and it made many vendors and audiences evacuate from the street and it was the best moment for us to fight! In the middle of the street, it transcended a performance art into a real street sword fight, and we actually continued fighting beyond our choreography. The crowd gradually joined around us and got heated up … at the end I was on top of him and almost terminating the life of this young talented fencer (well, not technically in reality) … the crowd went nuts for it. I inserted my Samurai swords back in Saya(Sccabard), and gave him my hand instead … teacher and student friendship lasts infinitely … I felt confident that art will help end wars on earth one day …

Later, Hip Hop guys who were performing earlier on the other side of the street came to me and said, “Yo, Samurai, man! Yo gatta do what yo gatta do, man! It could end yo life if yo didn’t end his, man!” Perhaps it can be the case, and it is true that I have been betrayed quite a few times over my generousness or tolerance … but I still want to believe that a good intention can be lead to long run mutual understanding … “yo, man! no fights on our streets!!”

The last Scream Literary Festival guided by A. Rawlings as a ghost in the Park!

daisuke — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:05:00 +0000

The last Scream Literary Festival was held in Toronto’s High Park on Monday, July 11, 2011. Angela Rawlings as a mysterious ghost from the past, present, and future guided the lineups of talented Canadian poets and writers such as; Gary Barwin and Gregory Betts, Christian Bök and Darren Wershler, Margaret Christakos, Dani Couture, Sheila Heti and Misha Glouberman, Aisha Sasha John, Shawn Micaleff, Alisha Piercy, Angela Szczepaniak, Hugh Thomas, Nick Thran … and the last reader of this 19 year long festival was Mark Truscott who was my favorite of the evening. Simple, calm, rhythmical, simple, calm, rhythmical, simple, calm, rhythmical, … his subtle lyrics and “non emotional and almost numb” way of reciting them was so unlikely for “the last scream.” The stage setup seemed so simple with only two microphones and good sounding system … good poetry does not require anything but your imagination … Angela Rawlings on the other hand was almost like a diva or a witch and transcended this outdoor theatre into a time machine or cabaret or the Colosseum! The Scream will be missed by its fans … R.I.P.

Neoist Monty Cantsin, Istvan Kantor’s storage space and summer gallery

daisuke — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 13:08:23 +0000

Yesterday I went to the re-opening of Istvan Kantor’s storage space and summer gallery. A small group of artists, writers, poets, and other arty type of people sit and relaxed and enjoyed having conversation with Istvan. Istvan Kantor has been practicing art for over decades, many of his past projects were controvercial and banned by some of the nation’s major museums due to his performative acts … now he is a celebrated artist and totally un-banned. His storage was filled with his artifacts … many roughly sprayed with blood-like graffiti, or scull, or the cross … seemed to me that those were created as results of his performances. Made me think of what makes difference between artistic excellence and excellent artists …

Istvan and I share few things.

A video editing suit at the Trinity Square Video about a decade ago … I was editing my first video piece there over night in one unit with the Media 100(before Final Cut Pro and others came out), and he was editing something very sexual and technological next door … too aggressive looking to me and I remember being scared … now we share few other things. The same lawyer and dyed blonde hair and sunglasses … and one more thing! He has a DAICHI Capsule!! Even someone like him is willing to support children in Japan!! so why not should we all?

Meeting with former students … always nice to see you grow!!

daisuke — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 12:44:23 +0000

I met with Andrew and Nils, two of my former students from La Citadelle International Academy of Arts and Science. At least it has been three years since last time we saw each other … wow! amazing how much they have grown!!

Nils and I are going to create a live painting performance art piece soon at Big on Bloor Street Festival. Cannot wait. cannot wait.

BOOK SALE came down to the ground … but Book Making forever!!

daisuke — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 23:15:29 +0000

“BOOK SALE,” I saw a sign on Bloor street … on a manhole cover. I read the sign as “Book sale has come down to the ground.” Quite symbolic I thought … did I read it much?

When I published “eyes of a child,” I loved the process of publishing … selecting paper type, languages, designing, a publisher, etc. Now even this blog post is only a click away to publish … Book sale industry has changed drastically recently, but I hope that Book publishing remain somehow … Book lives forever!!

From Wikipedia: A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of paper, parchment, or other various material, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf, and each side of a leaf is called a page. A book produced in electronic format is known as an electronic book (e-book).

Gosuke Takeya ~ Daisuke Takeya … Samurai tradition?

daisuke — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 23:05:53 +0000

Today, I went to the Canada Post to pick up a parcel that I could not recall who it was from. In the long cardboard box, I found a new Samurai blade … oh, yes, I ordered it a week ago. I opened it at the StarBacks at Bloor … the manager there came right at my face and said, “Not here sir!” I said(smiling), “… well it is not a real one … sorry to scare you …” One female worker said, ” Can I touch it?”

My ancestor Gosuke Takeya is one of the youngest last Samurai fought at the civil war in Japan in 1869, as one of the “Nihonmatsu Shonentai(Boy troop of Nihonmatsu city in Fukushima prefecture)” when he was only 14 years old. He was a member of the 16 child Samurai troop … many got killed at the war, but he survived and lived in Meiji, Taisho, and Showa era. He kept himself silent, but started telling stories when he reached 50 years of age. There is a Black and White feature film of “Nihonmatsu Shonentai” made by Shochiku Film in 1940 and I hope I can bring the film to Canada and create a multimedia exhibition in Toronto as an homage to him! I may not be a Samurai in traditional sense … I believe in LOVE and PEACE but in spirit I still may be a Samurai who puts an importance in respect and fairness. I am creating a street fight performance piece at the moment, where a Samurai and a Fencer fights over love of paints!! My Samurai blood is so excited about this!!

Sachiko Murakami and Pivot Readings

daisuke — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 22:34:41 +0000

I went to Pivot Readings last Wednesday at the Press Club where I was living across the street from. My British friend Lorna Stewart once presented her Tango performance video piece (with a dog and respected Anthony Howell) there … it has been ages since that time.

Hosted by Sachiko Murakami whom I met at “Toronto to Japan ~ Hope Blossoms (How to Say Ganbatte!),” Pivot Readings” presents the writers breathing life into Canadian literary culture. Established and emerging, time-tested and fresh; we’re what’s happening in literature, right now(from its website).” At the end there was an announcement of a new additional organizer to the reading … it seemed to me that Toronto literature community is quite well connected like a family, even more so comparing to art or music ones …

Saichiko is a cutie … her new novel “Rebuild“is coming in September 2011 from Talonbooks … her “Project Rebuild” is an experiment in collaboration of poetry … wannabe a resident there?

Michael Pepa is young at heart!

daisuke — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 05:32:35 +0000

Escaping out of the huge Pride Parade in Toronto on Sunday afternoon, with Lynn, Paul, and Jane, I went to a Canadian composer Michael Pepa‘s house located North of Toronto for a nice BBQ. Michael is a mildly spoken, Beethoven like haired nice gent who loves to host his guests, and supports young musicians and created a platform for them to perform music by himself and other Canadian composers …

We went to a lake near by (and was very near). Michael is young at heart and whimsical even more than us … and of course he jumped into the lake with us! Great to be swimming in a modest Ontario lake … and I could not help imagining this composer creating his music in his studio quietly viewing this beautiful lake in the early morning before Sun rises … there’s something poetic about it … I could not quite put into words or imagery yet though. Hoping to get to listen to his music ‘live’ in the near future!

James Fowler and The White House Project

daisuke — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 13:40:41 +0000

I went to the opening of ” 10 x 10 – 100 Portraits celebrating queers in the arts by 10 Queer Photographers” exhibition at The White House Studio Project in Kenginton Market last week. Good vibe, packed, and filled with laughter and cuddling, I was greeted by James Fowler, the organizer of the exhibition and also the venue. The White House Studio Project is an artists studio complex and a showcase … reminds me a little of “Aterlier Shokudo” in Tokyo during 90‘s …

I bought the exhibition catalogue and it was autographed by James … at the back of the book, James writes a small paragraph of acknowledgement filled with ‘thank you,’ and it is concluded with this line. ‘Together’ is a magical word.

By the way today is The Pride Parade in Toronto, one of the World’s largest events celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender(LGBT) culture.

Canada Council ART BANK New acquisition!

daisuke — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:48:35 +0000

June 20, 2011, The Canada Council Art Bank acquired 52 new works by Canadian artists, from 1,875 submissions, including paintings, photographs, sculptures, and drawings, worth a total value of $303,025. One of my paintings Stoney Reserve was accepted … this is my second in the collection.

Stoney Reserve is located somewhere between Calgary and Banff in Alberta. On my way back from Banff I happened to stay over night near the reserve. There I have never seen that many stars in my life … literary the stars were shooting each other towards multiple directions. In the back ground, the silhouette of the grand Rocky mountains slowly became distinct as morning sun arose. That timeless and felt sacred night inspired me to create the piece … the shooting star in the painting is the very last one I saw there before sunrise … and for sure I made a wish! I am pleased that the piece will remain in a public collection in Canada permanently.

I hope this will lead me to the next step of my artistic endeavour!

The Boat

daisuke — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:46:39 +0000

My friends, Mark, Jon, Jaybe(,) and I went to see a boat where we will have a cruise on July 10. The boat seemed rather small for about 300 people capacity … still some parts in the process of being fixed or painted. I am to coordinate the live painting section for young artists … quite excited about this. Art/painting can be unfamiliar to many of participants … how entertaining and engaging can it be?

Louise Bak and the Box a mixed cultural salon

daisuke — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:38:35 +0000

I went to the Box a mixed cultural salon last night … met with Louise Bak, the host of the show for the first time. Interesting figure … the way she talks is quite smooth and elegant … makes sense that she is also a radio host . For some reasons to me she sounds like someone from 100 years ago. I can imagine my grand mother might have spoken like that (though she was one of the first female medical doctors in Japan … she couldn’t have been that seductively spoken …).

“The Box is a quarterly salon night of readings, performances, screenings, interventions and networking that aims to bring diverse communities and audiences into an environment of artistic and social intermingling( from its website).” It was nice to see some artists and writers whom I knew … I liked the vibe among the audience … very supportive and accepting.

JAVA skit for new JETs!

daisuke — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:15:11 +0000

On Sunday June 26, 2011, JAVA(Japanese Visitors Association) participated in pre- departure orientation seminar for JET(Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme) at The Japan Foundation, Toronto, organized by the JETAA(JET Alumni Association). JAVA is a not for profit volunteer organization that seeks to improve the information resources available to Japanese people who are visiting the Toronto area, and I have been its past president and currently its advisor. JET programme, in its 24th year, aims to promote grass-roots international exchange between Japan and other nations, by sending native English speakers as teachers to Japanese schools.

JAVA performed a skit for new JETs, demonstrating basic Japanese social etiquettes … after a two months long preparation and practice, it was really well done and received with big applause by the audience!! I hope that JAVA, JET, and JETAA will carry on good friendship!!

New JETs, have a great time in Japan!!

Sheila Heti and Aesthetic 999

daisuke — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 14:26:26 +0000

I went to Christopher Cutts Gallery for Eldon Garnet‘s book signing and closing party of his exhibition. There I met a talented writer Sheila Heti for the first time. I decided to contribute to her poll of artists, writers and other creative types – a project called ”Aesthetic 999.” Interesting to see how artists and writers feel about their aesthetic … my answers are … here (click).

Keiji Haino in Toronto

daisuke — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 21:24:37 +0000

An established music prayer icon, Keiji Haino perfromed at Toronto’s Garrison’s on Saturday, June 11 2011. I was his interpreter during his stay. He is quite a character, with a distinct style from head to toe and the way he talks. He went over and over with the earplug issue. He claims that earplugs should not be worn by his audiences because it will only loose the point of why he creates loud sound. They should try to really hear without earplugs and evolve their ears to match the level of his prayer. I personally tried … but my ears are still hurting as I write this entry three days later … See you again Keiji, you rock!!