Spotlight Artist

Ryosuke Kumakura

Northeast
Artist profile photo
Featured in New American Paintings

Artist Statement

 My work grapples with basic tasks, customs, and behaviors that we commit to habit over time. For instance, stretching a canvas or hanging a towel in your bathroom are common practices, though everybody tends to have their own methods for these things. I play with this within the structure of my paintings and explore the peculiarity of the way we organize our lives.

While the paintings have detailed textures on the surface, the sculptural characteristics of the canvas are emphasized. These pieces are, in part, about the strange similarities that can be found between canvas and towels —not only their structure but also the potential of their emotional purpose. To me, paintings are at the same time illusory and physical, emotional and observational.

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