DANIEL DAVID FREEMAN
Mankind is Crazy
In collaboration with Gallery Commune based in Hatagaya, Tokyo, i GALLERY OSAKA will host “Mankind is Crazy,” a solo exhibition by London artist Daniel David Freeman (DDF).
The idea for the exhibition came about when i GALLERY OSAKA approached Gallery Commune to discuss a new project. For some time, we had known of their work showcasing domestic and international expressions from unique perspectives while also spanning diverse cultural fields such as art, publishing, fashion, and music, and it was during this discussion that Commune first proposed the idea of a DDF solo exhibition. DDF is an artist we were also interested in for a while, and since our two perspectives naturally aligned, it eventually led to the exhibition becoming a reality.
DDF’s work spans a variety of different fields, such as painting, drawing, screen printing, graphic design, and fashion. What drew us to DDF was not the diversity of fields in itself, but rather his approach of treating each element as an equal part of the visual culture around it by not placing clear boundaries between them.
Every day, we are bombarded with a staggering number of images. Some linger in our memories, while others get stored away without us even being able to remember where we saw them. With DDF’s work, such familiar images and fragments are borrowed, reproduced, and made to clash within different layers, gradually drifting away from their original meanings and contexts.
What emerges is less a single finished image and more a process where an image encounters another image, alters its meaning, and is rearranged into a new visual language. DDF’s approach of leaving traces of his creative process on the surface of his works rather than erasing them, resonates with the way we perceive, remember, and reinterpret images in the modern world.
“Mankind is Crazy” is the exhibition following “Graphic Detail,” which took place in Tokyo in March 2026. It reconfigures the works of the previous show, while also incorporating new pieces and undertaking new experiments with scale and texture, all arranged in a way that suits the space of i GALLERY OSAKA.
To what extent does an image remain the same after being seen?
As images are borrowed, layered, and placed within different contexts, their meanings and how they are remembered evolve constantly. Through the visual language DDF has built up and continues to update, this exhibition reexamines the very act of seeing images.
DATES
OCTOBER 3 - 26, 2026
*WED-MON
NO OPENING RECEPTION
LOCATION
i GALLERY OSAKA
1F, 3-8-14, MINAMISENBA,
CHUO-KU, OSAKA-SHI,
OSAKA
ARTIST
Daniel David Freeman
"This show is a collection of ideas about post-human evolution. The ‘beings’ are a mixture of bionic and organic, digital and physical in their outcome and their make-up. They aren’t people but rather where people might end up. The physicality of the work also helps illustrate this. Each work is the result of multiple layers of previously used work and ideas. Although the result is sometimes chaotic on the surface, the practice reflects a want for balance through a minimalist approach to materiality. In layering and reusing old works as new surfaces, I can illustrate how art making can be more considerate of what it is leaving behind.
Also, layering acts as a visualization of my development. The previous images not only have a direct influence conceptually; but they are also visible in the construction of new work. The images are familiarly graphic, which expresses my influences in terms of making pictures, but the process allows me to talk about ideas from outside of art practice.
The exhibition shows 2 stages of the project, images with the under layers still clear and newer works wherein the backgrounds have been overpainted. The layers are still visible underneath, but the imagery is moving to speak more for itself. Overpainting allows an extinction within the work; the evolution of it has been halted and restarted however traces of its former self are still there, faintly, in the background.
These are primarily experiments in printmaking, as each image finds its way on to the surface via a silk screen, but I regard it more as painting. Each image through this process of collage becomes unique and uniquely mine. Even if the image is reproduced, a handful of times. If not, they exist singularly and ‘un-editioned', and the screen becomes just a way of getting the paint onto a surface.
The physicality is what makes them, with each addition the paper molds and the previous images are left ghosting through the work, so go look at them, on the wall!"
-Daniel David Freeman
" What drew us to the works of Daniel David Freeman is the fact that, above all else, he is an artist brimming with curiosity. He can move freely between different styles and techniques, and his output can vary considerably depending on what has captured his interest at any given moment. We were captivated by the breadth of his oeuvre, as well as by the excitement of never quite knowing what to expect him to produce next.
We also feel that his work is characterized by a willingness to commit fully when trying something new. Unbound by established styles, he ventures into new forms of expression, following wherever his interests lead him. We put together this exhibition as an introduction to DDF’s work, while also seeking to convey these aspects of his approach."
- gallery commune - commune Press
DANIEL DAVID FREEMAN
Daniel David Freeman is a London-based artist who specializes in experimental print-making and fashion design. Influenced by subcultural style, outsider and craft art and the more subversive side of tattoo culture, he has produced a body of work that spans from painting and installation to film, animation and limited-edition garments. He has also created visual work for fashion brands including Simone Rocha and EDWIN Europe.
Instagram: @danieldavidfreeman
Homepage: Link
gallery commune - commune Press
commune was founded in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, in 2009. Today, it operates a gallery and shop in Hatagaya, Tokyo, as well as its publishing label, commune Press. Its activities also include participating in art book fairs around the world, curating exhibitions in Japan and abroad, and artist management.
Instagram: @ccommunee
Homepage: Link