Mika Tajima: Anthesis | PACE
The most interesting thing about Mika Tajima’s art is the materials she uses. Though it has considerable aesthetic appeal too. In a new collection of works at PACE, these materials include marble, rose quartz and “thermoformed PETG”, whatever that is.
Whatever it is, it looks great. The latter set of works I mentioned above are collectively named Art d’Ameublement (the art of furnishing), which seems to be a nod to their decorative prettiness. They’re dreamy horizontal bands of acrylic paint, recalling Mark Rothko or Sean Scully, sealed on a hard flat shiny surface: sheets of plastic that have been heat treated and shaped to have curvy edges.
Elsewhere, there’s tapestry works that suggest electonic glitches, lumps of rose quartz pierced by glass jet nozzles, and, most show stoppingly, huge marble rocks on the floor studded with iris flowers.
These flowers are spookily lit with UV light and have been chemically treated by the artist to preserve their lives. Though they’re still dying. Taken individually, the purplish flowers have a spectral presence. Though the spooky effect is blunted considering the bright lighting of the gallery, and the jaunty colouration of the plastic and thread works all around.
Anyway, Tajima has created a very attractive menagerie of beautiful-to-look-at objects. I’ll leave it at that, because that’s enough.
Mika Tajima: Anthesis is at PACE (London). 03 September - 04 October 2025