Exploring gender identity through art
By Sadie Kaye
There has been a surge of artists exploring themes of gender identity and expression. Riding this zeitgeist is artist Takuto Kadokura, also known as 22nd Century Jedi, who just completed his (Hans) solo exhibition at hipster hideout, the Yidi Art gallery. Kadokura’s explosion of charismatic works create an intoxicating ambiguity that challenges us to rethink our assumptions in haunting, satirical and playful ways.
The collection is a riot of startling colour combinations, bold compositions and Kadokura’s trademark theatricality. Intriguingly, we are told the artist finds the vivid flowers and pots he paints “terrifying. He thinks they’re ghosts and monsters.” Gender is not a simple dichotomy
– it exists on a vast, colourful spectrum, and Kadokura’s work celebrates that complexity.
But to define Kadokura as a gender identity artist would be missing his point. All his works are nameless. This is an artist who rejoices in rejecting and subverting self-limiting identity labels of any kind – but is seduced by fashion labels, inspired by the absurdity of lusting after surreal clothes we wouldn’t be “caught dead” wearing. Beauty and Death strut down the runway side by side. Kadokura relishes the contradictions: Masculine and Feminine, Reality and Imagination, Truth and Illusion, Speed and Stillness, Monsters and Models.
As societal attitudes continue to evolve, identity art is poised to diversify. “The work being done by artists is so vital,” says curator Darius Yeung. “They are giving visibility to marginalized identities and creating spaces for people to explore and celebrate the full spectrum of gender.” This is just the beginning of a profound cultural shift.
Takuto Kadokura’s exhibition at Yidi Art in Fortress Hill was a great pick for this summer’s WiPS-organized gallery visit and was followed by a lively supper discussion nearby.