Tenki Hiramatsu "Breather"

1. The paintings of Tenki Hiramatsu are not concerned with narrative, lived experience or allegorical positions. Rather, the figures in his paintings exist as extension of his subconscious impulse—pieces of a puzzle gently or harshly placed together.

2. Perhaps the emotional tenor of these paintings points to their core sentimentality. But pathos is also not Hiramatsu’s main priority.

3. Although the pictures appear immediate and intuitive, the artist contends that an extended amount of viewing is required—his compositions’ spare mark-making belies the hours of quiet examination that the artist dedicates to crafting a casual impression. At a prolonged glance, the internal struggle present within his process comes to the fore.  

4. The artist sees the paintings as both abstract and representational—all works begin with a color-field painting—hues of earth, blues, red and green. From there, figures are introduced and removed until a resolution is developed. The artist doesn’t care whether they are legible.

5. The objective of these paintings exists outside of some individual project or plan. Instead, these pictures represent parts of a larger pursuit—a lifetime of dedication to image-making with no regard for its ultimate end. Painting as a choice for living.