To mark Johan Tahon’s 60th birthday, the gallery is dedicating a small retrospective to him. To celebrate this birthday, Johan Tahon has created the “one” edition with 60 copies.
In his work, Belgian artist Johan Tahon thematises man‘s search for spirituality and transcendence and his imperfection in relation to the universe and the divine.
Restless and filled with longing for the inexpressible, Johan Tahon explores the boundaries of the great unknown. Trusting in his material, technique and skill, he goes in search of the nothing that is at once everything in a manner that is as fearless as it is stubborn. Of a present that is also past and future. And of the silence that speaks volumes.
Johan Tahon‘s sculptures are powerful and expressive. Although they are created independently, they are rooted in works of art and myths of the past. His figures, often worked as ceramic sculptures, point directly to the essential and aim to express the density and complexity of human existence, stripped bare, raw and barren. Some sculptures are pierced and punctured, as if they open up access to other worlds that the works seem to reflect.
Johan Tahon consciously integrates influences from European art history and Egyptian, African and Far Eastern sculptures into his work. In addition to expression, the sculptural quality is an important aspect for the artist. The creative process is obvious and comprehensible. The construction and workmanship remain just as visible as the artist‘s hand.
In essence, Johan Tahon‘s work is a continuous search for a higher truth and a deep sensitivity to the existential condition of humanity. Because this search or urge comes from his deepest being, he is able to move us to our very core.
