We have been following TwoOne for quite a while now, and, for good reason, he is one of our favourite artists practicing here in Australia. Since interviewing him two years ago, his work has just gone from strength to strength, and his next show finds him harkening back to his own personal influences in the shape of Seven Samurai.

“What’s right? What’s wrong? Is the sacrifice of an individual worthwhile if it benefits the many?

Using Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai as a common cultural reference point, Japan-born Melbourne street artist TWOONEexplores these questions at the exhibition of the same name at Collingwood’s BACKWOODS GALLERY Opening on Friday 14th September.

Seven Samurai is one of the most influential films of all time, with a major impact on American films in particular – from obvious tributes like the 1960s western The Magnificent Seven, which was a remake in everything but name and setting, to George Lucas paying homage to its dialogue and shot composition across his Star Wars saga.
The film continues to inspire nearly 60 years after its release, with TwoOne again drawing on Kurosawa’s 1954 masterpiece for his first solo exhibition of 2012. Each of the seven large works in this new collection is an exploration of the psyche of the film’s seven protagonists, approaching the heroes not as warriors, but rather culturally-significant character archetypes. These archetypes represent enduring perceptions of authoritarian figures in traditional Japanese society, and TwoOne’s analysis looks at them with contemporary insight.

TwoOne aims to bring both western and eastern philosophy together in his character portrayals, which are based on his own psychoanalysis of each of the samurai while at the same time drawing visual reference from the physical energy of Bushido and judo. “Within us all there is a battle,” TwoOne says. “The form of fighting and the ferocity is what defines us.”

With Seven Samurai, he creates a visual representation of that duality; of the forces, whether perceived or real, that pull Kurosawa’s characters (and, indeed, all of humanity) in different directions psychologically and the difficult decisions that must be made.”

Beyond being a film that we’ve seen (in two sittings once – hey, its a loooongg movie!), we can, partially, identify with the theme of the show – but not on such a deep a level as TwoOne.

When I had a chance to catch up with him at his studio, across a couple of beers we spoke about those talked over a few beers about the common elements that we all share – the things that allow us to identify with each other, and the art that artists produce that draw on those elements.

He explained to me his thoughts on how the many popular icons around us help to convey stories between different groups of people. As TwoOne didn’t really grow up with superheros and the like, his influences were films such as Seven Samurai, and he liked to think that the link in popular culture via the movie was his own way of manifesting that philosophy. The fact that Seven Samurai has been massively influential in both Western and Asian popular culture lead me to thinking of his show in a way made the whole idea behind it seem just that little more personally entwined with his art for this show, and it all kinda coalesced in my mind from there.

Amongst the show are a array of eight large paintings, and numerous sculptures – one part of what TwoOne does that we particularly love – and a I had a chance to see them as they were being built – fantastic, really, to see the process as he whittled them down into the equine shapes by hand.

We’re really looking forward to this one – there is, really, and honestly, nothing that this man has done over the past few years that we haven’t loved – Seven Samurai is just going to continue that trend. Heres a few more pics via Backwoods Gallerys press release.

For another really, really amazing preview of the show, and more, check out the awesome piece that our friends over at Profile did on him – awesome.

Who: TwoOne
What: Seven Samurai solo show
Where: Backwoods Gallery, 25 Easey St, Collingwood
When: Friday 12th September from 6pm til 9pm, and

Check out TwoOne as well as Backwoods Gallery for a lot more, and don’t forget to check that Profile preview!!