SANTA MONICA, CA.- William Turner Gallery will be opening, a group of remarkable new works by Koji Takei on January 13th-March 9th, 2024. Koji Takei, the sculptor acclaimed for his unique synthesis of Analytic and Synthetic Cubism unveils his latest exhibition titled Intertwined.

Intertwined is a testament to Takei's mastery, where the Cubist and Surrealist traditions are re-appropriated in tongue-in-cheek fashion. Takei meticulously deconstructs and then reconstructs everyday objects creating illusions to the ghost of their histories. He re-interprets the objects with fragmenting in order to shift perception. The whimsical impressions are singular in their idiosyncratic phrasing, where the objects begin to lose their identity and intended purpose through brilliant technical skill and vision.

Through his background in photography and graphic design, Takei first began piecemealing his disparate photographs (pre-Photoshop) and constructing them into sculptures to be photographed. This in turn, led to Takei becoming a sculptor.

Drawing from the discourse of Picasso, Braque and the Surrealists, Takei’s sculptures reference, yet expand upon these oeuvres in a playful syncretism of the two. His work transcends the cacophony often associated with Cubism, offering a vocabulary suffused with irony. that engages in the contemplation of diverging vantage-points in-the-round. The minimal yet commanding presence of his pieces draws parallel to the interlocking sculptures

of the late Isamu Noguchi, echoing a profound artistic resonance. Through Intertwined, Koji Takei continues to redefine the boundaries of Cubism. As much as Takei’s pieces are Cubist in nature there is also an unmistakable Asian influence in the working method of the Japanese native.

As a Japanese-American residing in Los Angeles, Takei's influence extends far beyond his innovative work. He has taught at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California; Otis College of Art & Design in Los Angeles, and is currently a faculty member at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and Academy of Art University in San Francisco. This underscores his commitment to shaping the next generation of artistic visionaries.