RYO SHINAGAWA Solo Exhibition

For me, I believe ink painting and kinpeki painting, which emerged during the Muromachi period, are important styles and painting materials in Japanese art. What I am doing is to transform them into contemporary art forms. 

I think that renewing traditional Oriental art will lead to possibilities that go beyond boundaries like area or style.

 

Lately, I've been interested in time and stories in my artwork. When I paint birds, I create compositions with motifs I imagine for the space. I didn't have these ideas before, because I felt I wasn't good enough. But when I actually tried it, I saw depth emerge from the picture. Applying the colors also made me feel different and it was a lot of fun for me.

I let my brush strokes serve as an expressive element in the depiction of the flower. Since the era of Impressionism, brush stroke has evolved into an important element of a painting's composition, allowing us to feel the creator's spirit and aura. This continues to this day.

I wonder what led to the evolution of ink painting from a Buddhist practice to an art form. I try to answer this question. By adding modernity to the traditional Asian expressions of painting, I explore the possibilities of painting in Asia.

Working on the monochrome series has made me see that how ink painting, originally a practice of Zen Buddhist monks, developed into rich art due to the black-and-white limitation, rather than the materials used. I am challenging myself to make art that uniquely arises from these constraints.

SHINAGAWA draws inspiration from the rich heritage of Japanese painting, infusing his works with elements rooted in Oriental painting techniques. Imbued with a deep reverence for traditional culture, he persistently embarks on a quest to redefine the contours of contemporary painting as he perpetually explores its boundless possibilities. This exhibition features 22 paintings, each revealing intriguing facets, from symbolic depictions to abstract lines that embody flowers, birds, and plants.