iIn his Brooklyn studio under the Gowanus Expressway, painter Osamu Kobayashi fills notebooks with approximately two-square-inch sketches of abstract shapes. These small graphite doodles, lined up in grids in his sketchbook, are the blueprints for the color-drenched canvases that fill his studio, including Inner, Outer (2023),
an expansive abstract painting resembling a figure eight. He closely references these drawings, placing checkmarks next to those he wants to paint.
an expansive abstract painting resembling a figure eight. He closely references these drawings, placing checkmarks next to those he wants to paint.
an expansive abstract painting resembling a figure eight. He closely references these drawings, placing checkmarks next to those he wants to paint. Then, Kobayashi uses huge brushes—some created by affixing almost 30 utility brushes to a single piece of molding—to translate these forms onto the canvas.
The spontaneous energy of this process is clear in his current exhibition, “On Apparition,” at Hollis Taggart, which is on view until February 10th. The show marks a critical moment in Kobayashi’s career: After recently showing at Mindy Solomon Gallery’s group exhibition “In Spiritual Light,” he now has upcoming solo shows at Istanbul-based Dirimart in April and Beers London in October.
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Creative approach to every project
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The theme of his show, the “apparition,” refers to the process of forms emerging organically from simple brushstrokes, which he sees as akin to spirits materializing from the ether. His technique, involving large, fluid strokes, creates shapes that evolve from abstract to more figurative. “It’s as if a form is coming into being from nothing,” Kobayashi said. This balance is evident in the spectral forms that populate his paintings, organic yet geometric. They seem familiar yet defy easy categorization. Kobayashi’s forms—or apparitions—are playful rather than haunting.
Kobayashi’s approach is a study in contrasts. The careful planning of his chromatic, large-scale oil paintings juxtaposes with his spontaneous movements. Some paintings (like Mushroom Dance, 2023, which evokes a fluorescent yellow mushroom cloud) appear random at first glance, but upon closer inspection, they reveal the methodical conception behind their creation. Gesturing to the bottom-right corner of the work, Kobayashi pointed out a section he added after the initial brushstroke, which seamlessly melds with the existing movement of the paint. It’s hard to believe such fluid work emerges from such a careful and deliberate process.