A tree suddenly appeared

“ A tree suddenly appeared ”　　2025　　130.8 x 90.0 cm

alkyd resin, oil and charcoal on canvas

This beige-backed work, which has never been seen before, seems to concentrate the elements of Nishi's previous works. The figure of what appears to be a boy with an axe, owls and birds flying about. The strokes of the branches add to the unsettling atmosphere. Above all, the composition of the picture, in which the viewer looks up, is fresh.

Nishi Taishi has drawn stories about the boy's violence and anxiety on canvas using characters called “monsters.” I felt signs of change in Art Osaka's new work the other day, and now I feel that change. I think the motifs I showed at the first solo exhibition “The Conductor” at this gallery in 2017 and the characters developed since then have merged in a good way, and the paintability has become strong and intense. In that sense, the current exhibition “Rain Falling in the Distance” is a compilation of Western productions so far, and it is an exhibition where future directions can be anticipated.