Fiumano Clase presents Takefumi Hori’s third UK solo exhibition, from 18th April – 26th May 2018 at Unit 12, 21 Wren Street, London WC1X 0HF
Enjuku, taken as the title for the exhibition, is a Japanese term quite literally meaning maturity, perfection and ripeness. It is often used to describe an individual who, through continued study and personal development, has reached a milestone in their creative lives. It is without question that Japanese artist Takefumi Hori’s artistic practice has now reached a new level of maturity, perfection and ripeness. Furthering his exploration into the profundity of gold both as a colour and a material, Hori’s layering and revelatory technique brings a renewed depth and dynamism
to his paintings.
Gold and silver paint is applied thickly, obscuring layers of colour and gold leaf beneath. The surface rhythm of Hori’s new works brings an energy and vigour to his abstract explorations into light and texture. Areas of paint are completely scratched away, creating an almost keyhole effect, inviting the viewer to peer deep into the painting underneath. In his most recent body of work Hori incorporates sections of pre-worked canvas applied to the surface of new paintings. Essentially such fragments combine with the new work to become the prime ground on which the paintings take form. They are built up in multiple layers; canvas, acrylic paint and gold leaf with varnish in-between, so that each exists in its own dimension.
The pursuit of purity and the sublime remain a constant theme for Hori, as an artist he is only too aware of the elusive nature of the very thing he strives to capture. Preoccupations with geometry and balance continue to be explored in his expansive Circle paintings – imbued with a new dynamism. Evidently, the artistic application of metallic, silver and gold leaf and a feeling for how they integrate into each painting is a sensibility Hori masters.
Takefumi Hori’s increasing preoccupation with texture and depth achieved through an intricate use of impasto reverberates throughout his most recent oeuvre. He is now at an even greater stage of mastery of the materials with which he works, mixing more of his own compounds and achieving a greater degree of perfection. The highly polished surfaces, sometimes the result of a fairly frenzied creative process including wax crayon, paint application with a pallet knife or squeegee, remain a signature. As an artist Hori continues to explore his own unique practice, creating works that both move and beguile the viewer.
