I visited the solo exhibition by heavy-impasto painter Nanae Mitobe. The venue is Maki Fine Arts.
It is her first solo show in about a year since her October 2018 exhibition at a Nagoya gallery, and her first-ever solo at a commercial gallery in Tokyo.
The work placed directly in front of you as you enter is “I am a yellow,” which weighs about 200 kg.
Nanae Mitobe “I am a yellow” 2019 oil on wooden panel with linen 170×140×30cm
Seeing it in person is overwhelming. It has a raw strength and energy that make you search for a special expression that goes beyond mere “heavy impasto.”
Nanae Mitobe “I am a yellow” (detail)
What always draws me to Mitobe’s works is the beauty of paint color itself. The violence of the paint, and the sheer brilliance of its colors, sets the heart quivering.
Under the weight of the paint, the paint itself is cracking within the work.Right: Nanae Mitobe “Michael Jackson” 2019 oil on wooden panel with linen 70×95×15cm Left: Nanae Mitobe “Michael Jordan” 2019 oil on wooden panel with linen 90×54×14cmSeen from the side, the heavy impasto is clearly visible.Nanae Mitobe “Milla Jovovich” 2019 oil on wooden panel with linen 54×70×19cmNanae Mitobe “Michael Jackson” 2019 oil on wooden panel 27×33×12cmInstallation viewNanae Mitobe “Michael Jackson” 2019 oil on wooden panel 26×32×6cmNanae Mitobe “Michael Jackson” 2019 oil on wooden panel with linen 28×25×18cmNanae Mitobe “I am a yellow” 2019 oil on iron panel 22×25×8cmNanae Mitobe “Michael Jackson and a girl friend” 2019 oil on wooden panel with linen 32×37×18cmNanae Mitobe “Donald Trump” 2019 oil on wooden panel with linen 55×47×15cm
Nanae Mitobe continues to work at her large personal atelier.
Recently, she invited me to her atelier and shared many stories.
She will be showing work in a collectors’ exhibition over the year-end holidays, and another exhibition is planned for spring 2020. Great things ahead!
