Takayuki Matsuo is an artist who uses archaeological techniques as a research method for modern objects. By focusing on objects that are no longer needed in our society and treating them not simply as materials for creation, but as the main subjects of his works, he tries to find possibilities in objects that are otherwise useless to society. His research questions the value of objects in the world.

As a concrete creation method, he refers to archeological methods, such as investigation, cleaning, restoration, conservation and preservation. He seeks to reconstruct his study as “Modernology” (modernity + archaeology) by incorporating archaeological methods into contemporary events. His main works are found objects. He is especially interested in artifacts that have changed or deformed due to aging or external factors, and he collects and records them as “Natural Artifacts”. The waste that has changed or deformed contains mystery. In order to maintain the mystery contained in the object, he tries to eliminate the intentional creation with his own imagination and ego as much as possible.

Matsuo is a conceptual artist based in New York and Tokyo. He graduated from the Musashino Cooking College, and studied at The Art and Architecture School of Waseda University, in Tokyo. He participated in the artist in residency program, Residency Unlimited 2019. Solo and elected group exhibitions include, “9x10x17.5 32:12:59″, mh Project nyc, New York, 2022; “Modernology – Natural Artifact -“, Anaba Project, Washington DC, 2021; “Modernology – restoration”, The Ace Hotel Gallery, New York, 2020; “Modest Expressionism”, Sunset Park, New York, 2019; Project “Ephemeral”, Residency Unlimited, New York, 2019; “Time Difference”, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum , Tokyo, 2018; “Time Difference”, Hyōgo Prefectural Museum of Art, Hyōgo, 2016.

IG: takayuki_matsuo_art