Maki Fine Arts is pleased to present CONDENSED, a solo exhibition by Sakan Kanno starting Saturday, May 28, 2016. This is Kanno's second solo show with Maki Fine Arts since the artist's last solo show component in 2014.
Born in 1970, Kanno is known for meticulous paintings created through the use of dynamic contours, but for CONDENSED, the artist will showcase three-dimensional works for the very first time. In the "five square" series, pure iron is painted over with lacquer and enamel, and then acrylic paint and pencil is used for composition. In previous paintings, the artist created organic drawings using super fine brushes emphasizing diffused space by covering the base material with urethane, producing luster and depth. In the new series of works, however, the drawings are restrained and instead each element is concentrated and condensed into small cubes. All elements, including the metal surface made to look weightless and devoid of gloss through matt painting, the feeling of industrial gravity created by the fabricated rust placed on the surface, and the gentle pencil patterns drawn over the metallic luster, are effectively contrasting one another, generating a sense of tension.
For canvas size and layout, Kanno has often applied the concept of silver ratio, a popular concept used in Japan since ancient times. One of the characteristics seen in the "five square" series is how this silver ratio is applied in the weight between the artist's two-piece works.