Texts

Ari Morimoto

Musician; Manager, Guggenheim House, Kobe

“A Story About Iikawa”《飯川くんの話》

Printed on the reverse of a poster distributed on the closing day of Gathering Matters and Mediations

Contemporary Art Gallery, Art Tower Mito, Ibaraki, Japan, May 6, 2026

Read PDF (Japanese) →

Manabu Miki

Writer, editor, and art critic; Member, AICA Japan

[A Microcosm of Cause and Effect That Touches How the World Is Made: On Takehiro Iikawa]《世界の成り立ちに触れる因果の小宇宙　飯川雄大論》

In Bijutsu Hyōron Plus《美術評論＋》, AICA Japan, May 3, 2026

Read online (Japanese) →　

Meruro Washida

Director, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa

“Evading Attempts at Capture: Cats by Iikawa Takehiro”

In A Collection of Recent Interviews and Essays, 2018–2024, 2025, pp. 5–16

Read PDF (English) →　

Miki Tachibana

Curator, Takamatsu Art Museum

“The Story of Expecting Spectators”

In A Collection of Recent Interviews and Essays, 2018–2024, 2025, pp. 138–158
Read PDF (English) →

Miki Tachibana

Curator, Takamatsu Art Museum

“Impulse and Imagination: Exploring the Relationship Between Work and Viewer in Iikawa Takehiro’s Decorator Crab”《衝動と想像──作品と鑑賞者の関係からみる飯川雄大「デコレータークラブ」》

First published in artscape, July 19, 2024

English translation in A Collection of Recent Interviews and Essays, 2018–2024, 2025, pp. 115–137
Read online (Japanese) →

Read PDF (English) →

Yukika Takeno

Curator, Tokyo Shibuya Koen-dori Gallery
“Afterword”《あとがき》
In Kids meet 04: Decorator Crab—Expecting Spectators, Tokyo Shibuya Koen-dori Gallery, Tokyo, Japan, 2024, p. 45
Read PDF (Japanese) →

Megumu Takashima

Critic of fine and performing arts; Researcher, Art Research Center, Kyoto City University of Arts

Review of Decorator Crab—Measuring the Future, Pulling Time, Kirishima Open-Air Museum

First published in artscape, October 15, 2023

English translation in A Collection of Recent Interviews and Essays, 2018–2024, 2025, pp. 211–224
Read online (Japanese) →

Read PDF (English) →

Eriko Kimura

Director, Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art

“Can Sculpture Camouflage Itself in Public Spaces?”《公共空間において彫刻はその存在を擬態できるか？》

In IIKAWA TAKEHIRO: DECORATOR CRAB, AKAAKA Art Publishing Inc. and Sendai Mediatheque, 2024, pp. 114–118 (Japanese), pp. 119–123 (English)

Read PDF (Japanese and English) →

Areum Lee

Aesthetics researcher; Co-director, YPC SPACE, Seoul, South Korea

“Rise of the Kawaii Monster—Meeting Mr. Kobayashi the Pink Cat”《「カワイイ」怪獣の出現：《ピンクの猫の小林さん》と対面する》

In IIKAWA TAKEHIRO: DECORATOR CRAB, AKAAKA Art Publishing Inc. and Sendai Mediatheque, 2024, pp. 124–127 (Japanese), pp. 128–131 (English)

Read PDF (Japanese and English) →

Taro Igarashi

Architectural historian and critic

“Transforming Landscape Through the Power of Imagination”《想像力を通じて、風景を変容させる》

In IIKAWA TAKEHIRO: DECORATOR CRAB, AKAAKA Art Publishing Inc. and Sendai Mediatheque, 2024, pp. 132–135 (Japanese)

, pp. 136–139 (English)

Read PDF (Japanese and English) →

Kenji Kai

Artistic Director, Sendai Mediatheque

“What a ‘Spectral Cat’ Offers a City: At the Intersection of Community Issue Resolution and Artwork Concept”《「化け猫」が街にもたらしえるもの——地域課題解決と作品コンセプトとの交点》

In IIKAWA TAKEHIRO: DECORATOR CRAB, AKAAKA Art Publishing Inc. and Sendai Mediatheque, 2024, pp. 190–191 (Japanese), pp. 192–195 (English)

Read PDF (Japanese and English) →

Kakari Seki

Curator, The Hakone Open-Air Museum
“A New Form of Art Appreciation That Begins Unexpectedly”《送客がもたらす、新しい鑑賞体験》
In Decorator Crab—Occurring Simultaneously or Awareness Being Delayed, The Hakone Open-Air Museum, Kanagawa, Japan, 2023, pp. 10–11 (Japanese), pp. 12–17 (English)
Read PDF (Japanese and English) →

Eriko Kimura

Director, Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art

“Sculpture That Lets You See What Cannot Be Seen and Paintings That Cannot Be Seen Even When Desired”《見えないものが見えてくる彫刻、あるいは、見たくても見られない絵画》

In Decorator Crab—Occurring Simultaneously or Awareness Being Delayed, The Hakone Open-Air Museum, Kanagawa, Japan, 2023, pp. 46–49 (Japanese), pp. 50–53 (English)

Read PDF (Japanese and English) →

Megumu Takashima

Critic of fine and performing arts; Researcher, Art Research Center, Kyoto City University of Arts

Review of Decorator Crab—Make Space, Use Space, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art

First published in artscape, April 15, 2022

English translation in A Collection of Recent Interviews and Essays, 2018–2024, 2025, pp. 106–114

Read online (Japanese) →

Read PDF (English) →

Hiroyuki Hattori

Curator, Japan Pavilion, 58th Venice Biennale (2019)
“A Project Expanding the Potential of Museums”《美術館の潜在力を拡張するプロジェクト》
In Decorator Crab—Expecting Spectators, Chiba City Museum of Art, Japan, 2022, pp. 2–4
English translation in A Collection of Recent Interviews and Essays, 2018–2024, 2025, pp. 159–163
Read PDF (Japanese) →
Read PDF (English) →

Megumi Hatai

Curator, Chiba City Museum of Art
“May You Encounter a Crab Someday, Somewhere—When Belief Takes Shape”《いつかどこかであなたがカニに出会えるように──信じ続ける態度が形になるとき》
In Decorator Crab—Expecting Spectators, Chiba City Museum of Art, Japan, 2022, p. 15
English translation in A Collection of Recent Interviews and Essays, 2018–2024, 2025, pp. 206–210
Read PDF (Japanese) →
Read PDF (English) →

Kozue Hashimoto

Curator, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art

[Becoming “A New Spectator”]《「新しい観客」になる》

In ART RAMBLE Vol. 75, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, Japan, July 8, 2022, pp. 4–5

Read PDF (Japanese) →

Kozue Hashimoto

Curator, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art

“Reflections on the Interview”

Printed on Channel 12: Decorator Crab—Make Space, Use Space, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, Hyogo, Japan, 2022

English translation in A Collection of Recent Interviews and Essays, 2018–2024, 2025, pp. 103–104
Read PDF (Japanese) →
Read PDF (English) →

Miki Tachibana

Curator, Takamatsu Art Museum

Curatorial text on the exhibition

In Decorator Crab—Intercepting Perception, Takamatsu Art Museum, Kagawa, Japan, 2020, p. 20

Read PDF (Japanese) →

Mayumi Hirano

Curator, Load Na Dito, Manila
“Collaborator, Corroborator and a Crab”《観察、参加、そしてカニ》
In Decorator Crab—Arrangement, Adjustment, Movement, AMAGASAKI A-Lab, Hyogo, Japan, 2019, pp. 20–21 (Japanese), pp. 22–23 (English)
Read PDF (Japanese and English) →

Keiko Kamijo and Takehiro Iikawa

Writer
“Change Your Perspective, and Space Appears”《視点を変えれば、スペースは生まれる》
In Kids meet 04: Decorator Crab—Expecting Spectators, Tokyo Shibuya Koen-dori Gallery, Tokyo, Japan, 2024, pp. 36–44

Read PDF (Japanese) →

Takehiro Iikawa, Kenji Kai, Chiaki Tanaka, and Keizo Tanji

Artist; Artistic Director, Sendai Mediatheque; Chief Curator, Sendai Mediatheque; Curatorial Staff, Sendai Mediatheque
“Roundtable Discussion: Toward a Sendai Edition of Mr. Kobayashi the Pink Cat”《ピンクの猫の小林さん 仙台版への道のり》
Moderated and edited by Shinichi Uchida
In Decorator Crab, AKAAKA Art Publishing and Sendai Mediatheque, 2024, pp. 160–169 (Japanese), pp. 170–179 (English)

Read PDF (Japanese and English) →

Kozue Hashimoto and Takehiro Iikawa

Curator, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art

“Iikawa Takehiro Interview”

Conducted at Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, January 13, 2022

Printed on Channel 12: Decorator Crab—Make Space, Use Space, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, Hyogo, Japan, 2022

English translation in A Collection of Recent Interviews and Essays, 2018–2024, 2025, pp. 81–100
Read PDF (Japanese) →
Read PDF (English) →

Akimi Otsuki

Curator, Ashiya City Museum of Art & History
Talk event with Takehiro Iikawa
Takehiro Iikawa: Decorator Crab—No Two Alike, gallery αM, Tokyo, Japan, April 11, 2026
78 min
Watch the talk archive (Japanese) →

Yuri Mitsuda

Art critic; Professor, Tama Art University
“From Photographs of Absence to the Audience”《不在の写真から観客へ》
Artist talk with Takehiro Iikawa, Art Hall, The Hakone Open-Air Museum, Kanagawa, Japan, November 19, 2022
Published by Mijutsu Publishing, Hyogo, Japan, 2023
Read PDF (Japanese) →

Nozomu Ogawa

Director, Art Center Ongoing
“Mr. Ogawa! What Are We Going to Do Now!”《小川さん! これからどうしていきましょう!!》
Artist talk with Takehiro Iikawa, AMAGASAKI A-Lab, Hyogo, Japan, February 2, 2019
In Decorator Crab—Arrangement, Adjustment, Movement, 2019
English translation in A Collection of Recent Interviews and Essays, 2018–2024, 2025, pp. 59–79
Read PDF (Japanese) →
Read PDF (English) →

Reiko Tsubaki

Curator, Mori Art Museum
“Decorator Crab: On the Work of Takehiro Iikawa”《デコレータークラブ：飯川雄大の作品について》
Artist talk with Takehiro Iikawa, AMAGASAKI A-Lab, Hyogo, Japan, January 26, 2019
In Decorator Crab—Arrangement, Adjustment, Movement, 2019
English translation in A Collection of Recent Interviews and Essays, 2018–2024, 2025, pp. 37–58
Read PDF (Japanese) →
Read PDF (English) →

Takehiro Iikawa

“Artist Statement”
Studio Takehiro Iikawa, 2026
Read on the About page →

Takehiro Iikawa

“Make Space! Use Space!”《メイクスペース、ユーズスペース》
In Kids meet 04: Decorator Crab—Expecting Spectators, Tokyo Shibuya Koen-dori Gallery, Tokyo, Japan, 2024, p. 5
Read PDF (Japanese) →

Takehiro Iikawa

“Expanded Work”《長い仕事》
In IIKAWA TAKEHIRO: DECORATOR CRAB, AKAAKA Art Publishing Inc. and Sendai Mediatheque, 2024, pp. 180–183 (Japanese), pp. 184–189 (English)
Read PDF (Japanese and English) →

Takehiro Iikawa

“Make Space, Use Space: A New Spectator”《メイクスペース、ユーズスペース—新しい観客》
Printed on Channel 12: Decorator Crab—Make Space, Use Space, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, Hyogo, Japan, 2022
English translation in A Collection of Recent Interviews and Essays, 2018–2024, 2025, pp. 80–81
Read PDF (Japanese) →
Read PDF (English) →

Takehiro Iikawa

“Make Space! Use Space!”《メイクスペース！ユーズスペース！》
In Museum Newsletter No. 243, The National Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan, December 1, 2021
Read PDF (Japanese) →

Takehiro Iikawa

Artist’s text
In Decorator Crab—Intercepting Perception, Takamatsu Art Museum, Japan, 2020, p. 20
Read PDF (Japanese) →