I am who I am -028-

MANABU KISHIMOTO seeks to depict the very essence of human “existence” by scraping away layers of paint. His work applies the traditional Japanese technique of “grinding out,” using water to grind away layers of acrylic paint applied over and over. This reveals traces of complexly overlapping colors beneath the scraped surface. Through this act of “scraping,” he attempts to strip away boundaries drawn by society and attributes imposed later, revealing the pure essence of human existence—the simple fact of being. Born in Minamikawachi-gun, Osaka in 1990; lives in Tokyo Graduated from Rikkyo University, School of Contemporary Psychology, Department of Imaging and Physical Sciences