Tadanobu Asano × TADANOBU ASANO EXHIBITION “FREAK” "This is my world, so no one has to admit it," says a portrait of an artist.

I wiped out my hesitation in painting
Drawing with a ballpoint pen

Mr. Asano has held three solo exhibitions: “Error” (1999), “BUNCH” (2003), and “TADANOBU ASANO 3634” (2018-2019). Last time, it was the first solo exhibition in 15 years, but it has only been two years since this exhibition. Now, is Mr. Asano switched on the “mode” drawing? "I was drawing something after 'BUNCH', but it's no longer like every day as before. Maybe there was something wrong with drawing. However, there was a film shot in China in 1313. Because of the fact that it was filmed in China, there was a lot of stress. When I drew it with a ballpoint pen on the back of the schedule, it was a great response. "Oh, this is it. I just want to continue drawing on paper with a ballpoint pen.' So I started painting again every day.”

An unprecedented feel gained from the challenge of kolor painting

However, there is a lot different from the previous exhibition. That's the "color". While the previous time focused on black and white paintings, the works exhibited as new works in this exhibition are colorful. "From around the end of the previous exhibition, kolor became concerned about whether it was a reaction. So when I tried it in earnest, there was a feeling that I had never had before. While finding your own solution while referring to YouTube etc. for places that don't go well, you can discover "Oh, this is?" That wasn’t the time I just painted ‘BUNCH’. Behind the challenge of kolor, which takes more time and effort than ball pen painting, seems to have been the occasional corona disaster. "In fact, last year I was thinking of taking a break from the actor's work. Until then, I was working non-stop. Then, just after the COVID-19 pandemic, I was able to spend as much time as I wanted to draw pictures and dig trees."

Animated work on an extension of the actor's work

"Playing as an actor is very stressful. Painting is also a means to disperse it,” says Asano, but the video works on display this time seem to be an extension of the actor. “Young people often come to me saying, ‘I want to be an actor,’ but ‘So what are you doing?’ When I hear it, many people say, "I'm not doing anything." But if you compare it to baseball, it's like saying to a professional baseball player, "I don't do anything but I want to be a baseball player." You should at least do it alone every day. In the same way, even an actor can do it alone. Especially now, if you shoot yourself with a smartphone, you can make a movie. However, when I think about it, I think I've never photographed myself. When I was in London for "Mighty Thor/Dark World", I made a live-action film that worked from actors to shooting alone, and it was interesting. So, if you're making various things, let me tell you that there is an app that allows you to make animations by moving pictures drawn on your iPad. This time, we are also exhibiting animations made with them. I have to draw each one, so it's hard, but it's fun."

It catches your eye in the goods
The secret story of the birth of autograph ball

For some paintings, a silk screen with an edition number is on sale. Why was it a silk screen instead of the original painting? "A lot of people ask me to sell it, but the work feels like a part of me, so I can't sell it. That's why I'm glad you made such a wonderful silkscreen." In addition, there are plenty of goods, but the one that catches your eye is the autographed ball. It is said that the inventor was Mr. Asano himself. “My local friend got married a while ago. I was so busy that I couldn't attend the wedding, but when I happened to meet another friend I attended later, I said, "Thank you for signing ball." When I asked in detail because I couldn't understand the meaning, it seems that a ball with my signature was hit with a prize from the bingo tournament. So when I checked with the married person, I said, "Oh, I gave it a prize without permission" (laughs). But it's an interesting idea, so I decided to make it for goods this time. I have never played baseball [laughs].”

From the work to the exhibition space
The idea of "wasteful"

When I listen to my favorite works among the many works, Asano says, "Everyone has a lot of thought, but I want you to see the big works by all means." "There are several large cat works, but some of them I took pictures at a cat cafe in Shibuya (laughs). I don't have it, but it's interesting as a motif because it's movement." In addition to cats, flowers are the motifs that often appear in Asano's work. One of the walls of the exhibition hall is covered with wallpapers printed with dozens of different flower paintings. Can I see this as a kind of series? "Isn't the concept decided by a solo exhibition? “This time only the sea.” I want to do that, so I draw lots of flowers and so on. But it's too fast to draw, and I get bored right away. However, it is wasteful that the paints put out on the palette remain, so when I drew more and more, I only increased naturally (laughs). " Whether you decide to draw on the back of an envelope or try to use up the paint left on the palette, Asano adds the word "Because it's wasteful." This idea is close to the concept of "sustainable" recommended by Shibuya PARCO, but if you listen, it seems that it appears in the spatial design of this exhibition. “The wall just stripped the wallpaper, and most of the fixtures were used in previous exhibitions. I don't think you need anything extra. You can put it on the ground more and more."

Mr. Tadanobu Asano's autographed postcard set gift

From April 19 (Mon.) to May 3 (Mon./holiday), 2021, gifts will be held on Shibuya PARCO official Instagram.

<How to apply>
① Follow Instagram official account “@parco_shibuya_official”
② "Like!" Postcard set signed by Tadanobu Asano of @parco_shibuya_official uploaded on April 19.
③"Like!" Please comment in the comments section of the post you received.
We will present it to 3 people by lot from among those who participated.
We will contact you by DM, so please follow Shibuya PARCO official Instagram @parco_shibuya_official (@parco_shibuya_official).

Announcement of Winning
After strict selection, only the winners will be contacted via Instagram direct message around mid-May 2021, and the prizes will be sent to the winners. In addition, prizes are scheduled to be shipped in late May 2021. Please note that it may vary slightly depending on the circumstances.