Cities are constantly on the move, but Keita Morimoto (Earlier) invites us to stay in their transitions a little longer. The artist gives corner shops, sales machines and lampposts that illuminate spaces that may otherwise go unnoticed. Either not occupied or inhabited by only one or two people, the scenes of Morimoto are vaguely lit but not creepy and call the environments that most of us appeal.
“The anonymous, liminal spaces in my paintings reflect the feeling of never completely belonging,” says Morimoto in a statement. “I may be attracted to the way in which emotions can convert a well -known setting into something completely different, so that deeper truths about human experience are revealed.”
In a new work with the title Nowhere and backThe artist continues his explorations in the interplay of light and shadow. Based on the sights of New York City and Tokyo, he is considering how we find a connection in a world that is constantly changing. He shares:
My work reflects lifelong navigating through conflicts, loneliness and the desire to escape in urban environments. When I moved from Osaka to Canada at the age of 16, I experienced an in -depth feeling of isolation, as if I was broken. Over time, some connections emerged, but it was always accompanied by subtle discomfort. Returning to Japan in 2021, a similar disorientation raised – Satten when even my birthplace felt unknown, as if the reality itself had been shifted.
Instead of translating streets, he is done directly on the canvas, Morimoto paints with a cinematic quality. This takes the viewer out of the familiar and makes even the most ordinary sidewalk intriguing. Zulling in on light sources further supports this vision, and artificial bulbs are dressed in the darkness in the dark. The artist is considering how these machines create ‘a robot -like harmony in Japanese urban life’ and paint them as characters.
Nowhere and back runs from March 14 to April 26 Almine Reche In Tribeca. Find more of morimoto op Instagram.
