The Environment of Change is a series of collage works by Akane Takayama which considers the topic of global warming. A contentious issue in which there are substantial questions about vested interests denying scientific evidence. In such a conflicting discourse Takayama’s signature technique of using a set of characters from classic paintings in juxtaposition to contemporary photographic images creates an almost eerie atmosphere. The silent witness from a pre-industrial past looks on at a world changing beyond their own possible recognition. Two points in time standing to mark a change of environment as clearly as possible.

Takayama’s The Environment of Change series reveals her insights into a world from which we all sometimes need to escape from. In taking collage as the chosen form of expression, the artist demonstrates her ability to produce a fresh voice from ‘found’ sources. When we look at these images we are immediately brought into the narrative and our opinions are sought not just of the collage image before us but the question which lies behind each of those constructions. This ability to pose questions with her work can be seen in her entire output. If sculpture or drawing, if photography or collage, whatever the medium the purpose and voice remain constant and clear. Akane Takayama’s art is always about the question and that, for her audience, is what makes her pieces not just aesthetically pleasing but intellectually challenging.