"Peepos" Ai Inoue January 2010, 1 - January 12, 2010

The exhibition "P-pose" will be held.
Venue: Art Gallery T+
Date: December 2010, 1 - January 12, 2010
Exhibitor: Inoue Ai
(3rd year, Japanese Painting Course, Fine Arts Major)

Exhibition of Japanese paintings

T+review

The human mind is complex, and not everything is conscious of it, but the unconscious realm is infinitely expanding. Whether we are aware of it or not, the sadness, emptiness, and madness that dwell quietly deep within us are part of our human nature, and they quietly eat away at us. And we either consciously or unconsciously avoid them, turn a blind eye to them as much as possible, push them into the realm of the unconscious, or simply accept them in a self-deprecating manner, and finally get through each day. "People" was an exhibition that forced us to reconsider how we interact with the negative aspects of our human nature.

　There are four paintings hanging on the wall, each depicting a single person. At first glance, these paintings, painted with faded, muted colors and rough brushstrokes, seem to be just ordinary portraits, but the expressions of the people are somehow empty and fleeting. Perhaps it is because I visited the gallery on a bitterly cold evening with a raindrop falling. I suddenly felt like crying. This was because I saw the emptiness and loneliness of human existence in their empty expressions. I felt helplessly sad, confronted with something I had been desperately trying to turn my eyes away from. However, after staring blankly for a while with such feelings, I somehow began to find the people depicted very lovable, and at the same time, I realized that this was also the artist's stance towards humans. The artist's love for humans is conveyed through the expressions of the people and the soft colors. The artist keenly captures the transience and emptiness that is inherent in human nature, but rather than carving them out and celebrating them (violently!), he gently picks them up and embraces them tenderly. The people depicted certainly exude loneliness and sadness, but they are enveloped in the artist's gentle love.

　We usually tend to bury dark and gloomy feelings deep in our hearts and pretend not to know them so that we can live our lives happily and joyfully. However, these four portraits show us a kind love that recognizes and accepts all of humanity, including its sadness and emptiness.

(Minami Kanazawa)