Yasutaka Yoshimura: MANGARCHITECTURE――Absence of an Architect

When I took a leave of absence from graduate school at the end of the 1990s to work for an architectural firm MVRDV^＊1, I was surprised that their models were very similar to those of OMA^＊2. Later, I was surprised again to learn that the same model maker made all of them. I was also surprised to learn that making models is no longer an architect's job and that different architects may share the same taste in models.
One can no longer say that models express the architect. Nowadays, architects who draw with their own hands are rare. What exactly is "authorship" when referring to that of an architect?

In this exhibition at TOTO GALLERY·MA, the very stage where the author's self-expression is tested, I made a deliberate choice to erase my authorship. This time, I focused on the medium of "manga" instead of models or drawings. I selected seven of my projects and commissioned seven manga artists to depict the worlds inspired by respective architectures.

The fact that I suffered a brain hemorrhage two years ago and am still struggling with its aftereffects and that my healing period coincided with the preparation period for the exhibition at TOTO GALLERY·MA also contributed to this exhibition proposal. I invite visitors to experience how the ingeniously drawn manga works effortlessly go beyond the architect's imagination.