Japanese Spirit #16, 2015

Hong Kong 2015
Japanese Spirit #16

Mizuma Art Gallery

Painting
Acrylic, wood, black gesso, gold leaf
222.2 x 151.7 （厘米）
87.5 x 59.7 （吋）
Beginning with the first machine pictured in the eponymous 1997 work, the fifteen-piece “Japanese Spirit” series reached its first point of completion in 2004. Eleven years later, in 2015, it is being reactivated with this new, sixteenth work. The “Japanese Spirit” series relates to foreigners’ sense of “Japan”, and the misunderstandings brought about by stereotypes. This series was created to further magnify that image of Japan, under the assumption that the works will be viewed by foreigners. These are machines of daydreams, creations which have their driving force in human manpower. The series formed the core of the artist’s first solo show in the year 2000.