Crystal pigment, correction fluid, clothes, acrylic box

86 x 64.2 x 25 cm. 33 7/8 x 25 1/4 x 9 7/8 in.

EXHIBITED
26 Sep – 26 Oct 2014, Disappearance and Formation, The Drawing Room Gallery, Singapore

PROVENANCE
Mind Set Art Center, Taipei
Private Collection, Asia

This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by• the artist and issued by Taipei Mind Set Art Center

Finite Motifs with Infinite Vitality
The Floral Projection by Shinji Ohmaki

After graduating from the Sculpture department of Tokyo University of the Arts, Shinji Ohmaki has been recognized as a rising art star receiving multiple honors and holding over 40 solo exhibitions both in Japan and abroad. His paintings can be found in 25 institutions, including Takamatsu Art Museum, Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto, and National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts. His exhibits at Art Basel and Setouchi Triennale also achieved great success.

His representative series “ECHO” has been on exhibition for 15 years. Ohmaki used correction fluid and crystal pigment to present the flowers, capturing the translucent texture and the interplay of light and shadow that gave off an idyllic and poetic vibe.

The Reblooming of Traditions

Born in a tailor family, Ohmaki has developed an affinity with all sorts of texture and patterns, which are thus frequently seen in his works. The artist, a witness of the increasingly industrialized and globalized world, has anchored his creation in history and culture. With the theme of disappearance and formation, Echoes Crystallization: White Shirt consists only of 5 pieces, and one of them is listed at the auction. It made its debut in Ohmaki's solo exhibition of Disappearance and Formation in Singapore in 2014.

In this work, Ohmaki sealed a traditional Filipino barong in an acrylic box with crystal pigment flower motifs on its surface. The patterns are then projected through the transparent plastic onto the clothing, and the pas de deux of traditional sewing and modern paint form an appealing shadow. The carefully shielded faded shirt seems to be recounting the charm of traditions, underlining the significance of cultural reservation. The artwork also exhibits the spirit of postmodernism. On one hand, it reminds us of the fact that heritage is fragile and detached from contemporary contexts. On the other, Ohmaki played with light and shadow to deliver the following message --- the declining tradition can be revived with innovative attempts. Ohmaki enriched natural beauty with poetic feelings, giving a new lease of life to the cultural heritage in a delicate manner.

Price estimate:
HKD: 150,000 – 200,000
USD: 19,400 – 25,800

Auction Result:
HKD: 177,000