This vibrant and surreal artwork displays an exaggerated, cartoonish figure with a large, expressive face and a nude, abstracted female body. The composition is dominated by bold, contrasting colors - red, green, yellow, and black - creating a visually striking and playful aesthetic. The figure's distorted features, including prominent eyes and nose, as well as the inclusion of smaller, stylized figures and objects, suggest a fantastical, dreamlike quality. The piece appears to employ a mix of cubist and expressionist techniques, reflecting the artist's unique, imaginative style. This unconventional depiction likely comments on themes of identity, sexuality, and the subconscious. ...
Makoto Toya’s works often take the form of monumental scrolls, created on traditional Japanese paper once used for sliding partition doors. Over the course of his career, including works in progress, he has produced 61 scrolls, each teeming with an array of figures and motifs: men, women, Buddhist symbols, fantastical creatures, celestial bodies, mountains, vegetation, and other elements drawn from nature. Toya does not begin with a predetermined composition; instead, he allows each image to emerge spontaneously, following the flow of his creative impulse in the moment.
His practice exemplifies a lifelong devotion to the act of drawing, reflecting a remarkable passion sustained for over fifty years. With each scroll, Toya continually explores and expands his artistic vision, finding new joys and discoveries in the process. This exhibition offers viewers a rare opportunity to witness the depth and vitality of an artist wholly absorbed in his craft, whose relentless curiosity and commitment transform each stroke into a testament to the enduring power of creative expression. ...
