GREAT BEAUTY SPEAKS NOT: A Solo Exhibition by Arashi Tanaka

SHANGHAI—70 Square Metres is pleased to present Great Beauty Speaks Not, a solo exhibition by Arashi Tanaka, who is the fourth artist in our residency programme. The exhibition’s title, from Zhuangzi’s “天地有⼤美⽽不⾔”, reflects Tanaka’s artistic philosophy. During his residency in Shanghai, the quiet presence of nature, such as the dappled light in the residency studio, spring rain, and humid air, inspired a deeper meditation on how beauty speaks without words. Like classical Taoism, Tanaka’s crystals materialise silently, their forms shaped by the quiet rhythm and unseen vibrations.

Blending photography, sculpture, and organic chemistry, Tanaka’s work crystallises the invisible poetry of existence—from heartbeats, rainfall, and memory—into tangible forms. His process begins with photographic portraits or landscapes, which are then submerged in a solution in which sound waves from the individual’s pulse or ambient recordings guide the growth of crystals across the image. The resulting works exist as frozen dialogues between humanity and nature, preserving ephemeral moments as lasting beings.

In his Portrait series, the crystalline growth is guided by human heartbeats, translating intimate rhythms into visual topography. In his Seascape series, the coastal atmospheres are preserved through seawater-infused solutions and submerged sound recordings.

“To work with crystals is to capture a silent beauty that dissolves into the everyday,” says Tanaka. “Within each piece, there are subtle images that emerge—traces, atmospheres, and a quiet presence. The viewer is invited to follow these impressions sensorially, encountering the unseen: a sound, a memory, a breath. It is within this silent resonance with nature that my work finds meaning.”

Viewing by appointment only, please contact visit@70sqm.com or WeChat: _70squaremetres