Our Thursday series features must-read books from each branch of the art bookshop NADiff. This week's book is Ikeda Manabu's "Until the Birth of Ikeda Manabu" (The Birth of Ikeda Manabu). It's introduced by NADiff modern, a branch in Shibuya, Tokyo (Bunkamura, 1st basement, 2-24-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo).



■ "Until the Birth of Ikeda Manabu" by Ikeda Manabu

Ikeda Manabu is an artist who paints magnificent worlds with a pen whose nib is less than 1mm long. In this book, Ikeda personally explains the origins of "Birth," a work he created over the course of three years in the United States that sparked a frenzy in Japan, and details the 3x4 meter painting. Even if you're unaware of the message contained within, seeing this work in person is captivating, captivating by its energy. And as you approach the work and examine its details, you're drawn even further into its world. Ikeda learned about the Great East Japan Earthquake on the news while in Vancouver, Canada. He explains that he came up with "Birth" after pondering how he, as an artist, should confront this disaster. "Given its appearance, title, and the imagery, this work is often described as a tribute to the recovery efforts following the Great East Japan Earthquake," he writes in the book. "While this work is often described as a tribute to the recovery efforts following the Great East Japan Earthquake, that wasn't necessarily his intention," he writes. Reflecting the various experiences he experienced during the process of creating the work, he portrays not only sadness and horror, but also joy, hope, and the future.

Also worth reading are essays by art critic Hidetoshi Fuse, Russell Panchenko, director of the Chasen Museum of Art, where "Birth" was created, and Sueo Mizuma, executive producer of Mizuma Art Gallery, where Ikeda is represented.

Remove the cover and open the book to see an enlarged image of "Birth." Reading the book while looking at this image will make it easier to understand and enjoy.