LIFE–WELL

Ryuichi Sakamoto was a composer, producer, and artist born in Tokyo. His diverse résumé　includes pioneering electronic works in the legendary techno group Yellow Magic Orchestra,producing pop albums and numerous classical compositions, two operas, and nearly 45　original　film and TV scores for directors such as Bernardo Bertolucci, Pedro Almodóvar, Brian De Palma, and Alejandro González Iñárritu. His film soundtracks have won prestigious awards, including an Academy Award, two Golden Globes, and many others.

Sakamoto made considerable contributions to the art world through both solo and collaborative installations and multi-piece exhibitions presented in galleries and museums across the globe. On January 17th, 2023, his 71st birthday, Sakamoto released 12, his 15th solo album. This work is a collection of twelve songs selected from musical sketches he recorded like a sound diary during his two-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. In the years leading up to his death, Sakamoto was unable to perform live, but in late 2022, he mustered all of his energy to leave the world with one final performance: Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus. The most comprehensive survey of his artworks was exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo from December 2024 to March 2025. It became the most visited exhibition in the museum’s 30-year history. Ryuichi Sakamoto passed away in March 2023 at the age of 71.

Born in 1963, Takatani is one of the founding member of the artist collective Dumb Type, which was established in 1984. Besides Dumb Type, Takatani began a parallel solo career in 1998. In his solo activities, Takatani’s works were presented, among others, Festival de Marseille, New National Theatre Tokyo, National Theater & Concert Hall Taipei, Centre Pompidou-Metz France, Sharjah Biennial UAE. His first retrospective solo exhibition, Camera Lucida, was held at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum in 2013. He also worked in collaboration with diverse artists such as Fujiko Nakaya, Mansai Nomura, Raku Kichizaemon XV, among others. The latest theater piece by Ryuichi Sakamoto + Shiro Takatani, TIME was premiered at Holland Festival in June 2021. Dumb Type is the Japan Pavilion Artist at the 59th International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia in 2022.