[Exhibition] KEITA MORIMOTO Illuminated Solitude

[Artist Statement]
This first collection of works and this exhibition look back on my own creative activities over the past 12 years, and focus on themes such as the conflicts and loneliness felt in the city, and the desire to escape from everything. When I moved to Canada from Osaka in 2006 at the age of 16, I felt an intense sense of loneliness, as if I was cut off from the world I was familiar with. As time passed, a sense of camaraderie gradually developed, but there was always a subtle sense of discomfort. When I returned to Japan in 2021, I was still confused by the sense of what was considered "normal" there, and often found myself unable to understand what was real, even though it was the country where I was born and raised.
Through these experiences, I think my work strongly expresses the sense that reality is not monolithic. Even if you live in the same country, the discomfort you feel when you step into a different community - this may be similar to the sense of alienation I felt in a foreign country. And even in the same place, there are moments when you see a completely different reality depending on your feelings at the time, and I always think that at such times the truth deep in the human heart is revealed.
I purposely do not give my works a set narrative, but that does not mean I simply leave a blank space. Each work is like a "device" that allows the viewer to become aware of the emotions and questions deep within their hearts. The main theme I paint is the sense of discomfort and loneliness felt within a society that demands conformity. I continue to paint in an attempt to express the question "Am I really allowed to be here?" that suddenly arises in everyday life, the subtle anxiety felt in the city, and the desire to escape from there.
I hope that through this exhibition, my works will resonate with the emotions and memories of those who view them, and leave something lingering in their hearts.

Keita Morimoto

 

Between Our Worlds (2024) *The image is a part of the work

 

[Added on October 30th]

[About the special limited edition collection with woodblock prints]

To coincide with the exhibition, a special limited edition collection of works will be available for sale, including woodblock prints.
There will be two motifs, with 30 pieces of each produced, and the pieces will have an edition number and signature on the surface.
*The cover design is different from the regular edition.

*Each woodblock print is unique and the finish will vary for each piece.
*Woodblock prints are not sold separately. Each work will come with a collection of artworks.

 

 

 

Online entries will be accepted during the period below through the online art marketplace "OIL by Bijutsu Techo."
Number of editions: 2 types, 30 of each
Material: Woodblock print
Size | Image size 700×560mm, sheet size 820×660mm, frame size 911×773mm
Year of production｜2024
Price: 330,000 yen (tax included) *Frame, box, and shipping not included
Application period: November 8th (Friday) 11:00 to November 27th (Wednesday) 18:00
"OIL by Bijutsu Techo" introduction site | https://oil.bijutsutecho.com/special/313

 

■About the woodblock prints
I will introduce the woodblock prints I created in collaboration with Edition Works, and the process behind the paintings that inspired them. These two works were created based on the techniques and themes I have used in my paintings, and were influenced by the unique expressions of woodblock prints, with a unique composition. In particular, it was a big challenge to me to figure out how to incorporate the rich textures and colors of oil paintings into the completely different medium of woodblock prints.
For example, in "Fragmented Paths," I deliberately simplified the complex composition of the oil painting to make the most of the gradations unique to woodblock prints, and incorporated gradations that flow into the silhouettes. The process of creating this work forced me to think deeply about how differences in mediums affect the composition. I was also excited to sense the new possibilities of painting in the unique expression of woodblock prints. I also feel that through this process, I was able to more effectively express the "ambiguous reality" that I have been pursuing in my work. I hope that by capturing the moment when the boundary between reality and fantasy becomes blurred, viewers can enjoy the sensation of their reality fluctuating slightly. (Morimoto Keita)

 

[About the collection]