Hino Gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition of recent paintings by Kiyoshi Nakagami from Monday, October 3rd.

Initially it is perhaps natural to consider his works as simple depictions of light. His recent paintings are apparently mostly concerned with the contrast and tonality between dark and light. The artist accepts that tonal gradation is essential for creating spatial illusionistic depth on a flat surface however, Nakagami agrees with many art critics who have suggested that the light he depicts is completely different from the light we experience on a daily basis whether natural or artificial. His light is a painterly autonomous sort of light.

In a recent interview for an exhibition review with the US magazine, ARTFORUM, Nakagami compared the light in his paintings to the “Big Bang” – a reference to the initial expansion of the universe as the beginning of time as we know it. This could be interpretable that the artist intends to capture an instant, unprecedented emanation - nothing like light that already exists. One of the things that has motivated Nakagami to explore this phenomenon so consistently over 10 years is maybe because he still experiences a sense of primal excitement every time it occurs within a piece.

Nakagami has gained international attention after holding solo exhibitions in Paris and New York in recent years. He has also shown in museums in Japan. On this occasion Hino Gallery will show the most recent paintings from this series. The works included suggest that Nakagami is now at a mature stage as a painter and we hope you can come and enjoy these accomplished works during the show.

Reference image: "Untitled" 2015, Acrylic on canvas, 194×194 cm