RUTEN – IN MEMORY OF TAKEHIKO SUGAWARA

Press Release – Ruten – In memory of Takehiko Sugawara Oct.25 FR-EN

Opening night on Thursday, October 9, 2025, from 6 pm to 9 pm

While Takehiko Sugawara had eagerly anticipated this Parisian exhibition – regarded by him as one of the most stimulating, as well as a cherished opportunity to reconnect with his audience – it has now become a tribute to his life and work, following his tragic accidental passing last July. His wife and children, in collaboration with Galerie Taménaga, were determined to see this project through, remaining faithful to the artist’s unwavering dedication to his painting until his final moments.

Titled Ruten, the exhibition adopts a term dear to the artist, which he frequently applied to his works. In Japanese, the word denotes the ceaseless flow and continuous transformation of all things. It also evokes the passage from life to death, the subtle continuity between disappearance and renewal, hinting at the immutable essence that endures beyond ever-changing forms.
In this context, Ruten becomes both homage and memory, revealing the current that courses through his painting. The exhibition celebrates a life devoted entirely to art and the enduring resonance of his oeuvre, which remains vibrant despite his absence.

Nearly forty paintings and drawings will be presented, tracing the artist’s journey from his first collaboration with the gallery in 2012 to his final works. This selection offers a true passage through the forms, themes, and diverse techniques that shaped Sugawara’s singular style and secured his distinctive place in the history of contemporary Japanese art.