MADSAKI

Untitled
Born in Osaka, Japan in 1974, MADSAKI graduated and received a BFA degree from Parsons School of Design (NY) in 1996. After completing his academic art education, he temporarily dropped out of the art world to work as a messenger. Immediately after the 9/11 attacks, MADSAKI met and joined “Barnstormers”, a Dumbo district (NY) based street artists collective, and returned to art. After starting his solo career, the artist was discovered by Takashi Murakami and became a member of KaiKai KiKi. Raised in New Jersey since childhood, MADSAKI had experienced language, cultural and racial barriers. The feeling of alienation and confrontation towards the majority has a direct influence on his sarcastic style of painting. Whether it is a homage of scathing criticism or a tribute to pioneers of world-renowned artists, the use of politicians’ portraits or pop culture as themes of his sarcastic works, they all demonstrate serious criticism of the artist himself and the society surrounding him.
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MADSAKI
Untitled
Year: 2019
Medium: spray paint, acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 100 cm (39 3/8 x 39 3/8 in.)
Acquired from PHILLIPS, 2022
MADSAKI depicted a scene from “Beavis and Butt-Head”, an animated comedy series for MTV in the 90s, which his other works had been repeatedly referenced to. Beavis (on the right when facing the painting) and his buddy Butt-Head. When Beavis consumes large quantities of sugar and becomes hyperactive, he undergoes a total personality change and transforms into Cornholio, who would cover his head with his T-shirt collar and speaks gibberish Spanish rapidly with an accent that is incomprehensive and eccentric. MADSAKI has lived in the US since childhood, and he drew whenever he had difficulties communicating in English. “Beavis and Butt-Head” is indeed a work of black humor. But in America, a multi-ethnic nation, people are expected to overcome language barriers by drawing, or to overcome other obstacles and survive through actions. The communication gap is also a social pathological phenomenon. Perhaps for MADSAKI, who probably watched this comedy on MTV in real time, this is familiar and nostalgic; though at the same time, it has a strong meaning as an icon of American culture shared by the artist’s generation.
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