Art Projects Gallery is delighted to present Japanese artist, Tomoya Moriizumi’s debut Hong Kong solo exhibition, titled “Life Portraits”.
Moriizumi’s works are executed using egg tempera, an old painting medium and technique that was used commonly in the European Medieval and Renaissance period from the 12th to 15th century, before the invention of oil painting. Moriizumi is intrigued and inspired by this traditional medium in terms of both its unique visual qualities as well as its historical significance, with which was used by the renaissance artists to portray people of nobility, wealth and aristocracy. As a contemporary twist to the subject matter, Moriizumi has instead chosen to paint ordinary people from everyday life, often intentionally incorporating modern day product labels and brand logos that are iconic of contemporary culture.
Moriizumi ensures that the very existence of the common people are not overlooked but represented through his portrait paintings, with their feelings, attire and features depicted succinctly in the exclusive medium of the egg tempera that was once reserved only for the higher echelons of society. The celebration of the common people evident in the bright colors and their juxtaposition of contemporary objects and icons have also been influenced by Pop Art.
Born in Nagano, Japan in 1983, Moriizumi is largely self-taught. He has held many solo exhibitions in Japan since 2002.
About the exhibition
Dates: 18 Feb - 11 Mar 2017
Venue: Art Projects Gallery
Courtesy of the artist and Art Projects Gallery, for further information please visit www.artprojectsasia.com.
