Shunnosuke Imoto

The presence of spirituality is a common thread in Shunnosuke Imoto’s paintings. His spiritual dimension is not necessarily related to the research of faith or divinity, but it is more personal and earthly His works assume Shunnosuke’s personal language, a language that is highly communicative and engaging He is one of those painters who navigate between the figurative and the abstract, whose canvases encompass the representation of the ordinary and the discovery of the unordinary. Through the modulation of colours and the definition of shapes, Shunnosuke’s paintings propose a new way of conceiving a personal spiritual world that celebrates the spirit of each of us and the ability to find our true essence. The painting “Ego-Statue (Self-Portrait), ⾃我 像（⾃画像)” is the epitome of this. Here, a red human silhouette stands at the centre, with, at its sides, two more small and yellow silhouettes Two pairs of eyes are portrayed at the top and at the bottom of the canvas; these eyes are open and look straight at the audience “The evidence of being oneself is what?”, the artist asks “Only in the midst of suffering and pain, we can truly see ourselves as we are now. From there, the world we see ahead is incredibly beautiful”. Similarly, a feeling of melancholy and hope is conveyed in “Red Autumn Leaves at Great-Grandfather’s House, 曾祖⽗宅の⾚朽葉” . In this painting, the forms become more abstract and unfamiliar; colours are darker, thus recalling the autumn season that the title suggests. This work is in memory of Shunnosuke’s family home, which has passed for generations. “Will there be an end to this house someday?”, he asks, “I want to preserve it for as long as possible”. Totally different is “Water ver.1,「⽔ver.1」” , where the audience is confronted by a deep blue canvas “Water exists in various forms, constantly changing its appearance”, the artist explains As if they are water, humans change too: they are never the same and always in motion With these paintings, Shunnosuke gives space to his emotional and spiritual dimension, satisfying his need to express himself freely, in all his essence. He is able to combine personality and emotion, and seal everything between the canvas and the colour.

Art Curator Martina Lattuca