Panel seven - curated by SUGAI Ichika

Curator comment by SUGAI Ichika about “moon phase” by Risa.

Let’s stop and paint the night sky in our minds. What color will you paint the sky, and what color will you paint the moon?

You may feel uncomfortable in this world depicted by NOHATA Risa.

The sky is painted in yellow and the moon in blue.
The moon’s texture is realistic, and there is a symbolic sequence of stars.

Let's look closely at our discomfort.
Why was the moon painted in blue? Why was the sky painted in yellow? Why did we think it
was the night sky? It is so different from the night sky we have seen before!

In the "INVERSION" exhibition, various inversion-themed works are exhibited. In this work, "Moon Phase" color, motif, composition, and other elements all play an important role in getting to the essence of the work. As I take a closer look at this painting, I feel the unconscious within me coming to the surface. What do you see when you think about it in reverse? This work is truly appropriate for this exhibition.

Curator comment by SUGAI Ichika about “Convex and Concave” by Becca SMITH.

Waves of blue spreading out all over the surface.

These are all composed of fabric.

Because the material is soft, the surface appears to be rippled, raised, or concave. This is a contradiction that gives the flat picture plane of the postcard unevenness.

Let's take a closer look.

The seemingly similar bumps and dips show various expressions, such as softly curved textures and strongly bent textures. Some of these expressions may have been intentionally made by the artist, while others may have occurred naturally.

The distinctive blue color of this work serves as a catalyst for highlighting such differences in texture. The bright blue areas show the differences in texture in a particularly pronounced way. Depending on the shade of blue, it may appear to be in the back or in the foreground, confusing our perception. The thin and flexible material of cloth, which can change its shape, makes this kind of expression possible.

This is a work that gives us a sense of visual inversion and is appropriate for this exhibition.