Shinpei Kusanagi: All things must pass

Sep 15 - Oct 22, 2022

  • All things pass

    A sunrise does not last all morning

    All things pass

    A cloudburst does not last all day

    All things pass

    Nor a sunset all night

    All things pass

    What always changes?

     

    Earth… sky… thunder…

    Mountain… water…

    Wind… fire… lake…

     

    These change

    And if these do not last

     

    Do man’s visions last?

    Do man’s illusions?

     

    Take things as they come

     

    All things pass[1]

     

    [1] Lao Tzu, trans. Timothy Leary, “All Things Pass,” c. 6th century B.C.

  • Altman Siegel is thrilled to present All things must pass, an exhibition of new paintings by Shinpei Kusanagi. The process of painting is innately tied to that of everyday life for the artist. While our lives have become increasingly complex, Kusanagi continues to appreciate the rhythm and consistency of his studio practice. The exhibition’s title is taken from the 1970 album by George Harrison, which itself borrows from a poem written by Lao Tzu.

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  • Kusanagi frequently paints through the night, preferring to work in silence and solitude. His process is inherently connected to his body. Beginning by staining untreated canvas with layers of translucent color, he applies expressive brushstrokes in an evocative range of colors. Rather than envisioning what the finished work will look like, he chooses to remain present by allowing the painting to develop organically. As a result, his canvases evolve in surprising ways as they accumulate new layers of information.

  • Through his rigorous application of color – vivid blues and greens, for example – and improvisational brushstrokes, Kusanagi’s canvases evoke landscapes that are at once dynamic and serene. Instead of presenting a single scene, however, he understands abstraction as a tool through which he can capture the multiplicity of the wider environment. Within this space between figuration and abstraction, Kusanagi is able to contemplate the murkiness of time, place, and memory itself.
    • Shinpei Kusanagi Be Kind Rewind, 2022 Acrylic on canvas 63 3/4 x 51 3/8 in 162 x 130.5 cm
      Shinpei Kusanagi
      Be Kind Rewind, 2022
      Acrylic on canvas
      63 3/4 x 51 3/8 in
      162 x 130.5 cm
      Inquire
    • Shinpei Kusanagi Ghibli-Ⅱ, 2022 Acrylic on canvas 63 3/4 x 51 3/8 in 162 x 130.5 cm
      Shinpei Kusanagi
      Ghibli-Ⅱ, 2022
      Acrylic on canvas
      63 3/4 x 51 3/8 in
      162 x 130.5 cm
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    • Shinpei Kusanagi Overdubbing, 2022 Acrylic on canvas 63 3/4 x 51 3/8 in 162 x 130.5 cm
      Shinpei Kusanagi
      Overdubbing, 2022
      Acrylic on canvas
      63 3/4 x 51 3/8 in
      162 x 130.5 cm
      Inquire
    • Shinpei Kusanagi Oven, 2022 Acrylic on canvas 71 5/8 x 89 5/8 in 182 x 227.5 cm
      Shinpei Kusanagi
      Oven, 2022
      Acrylic on canvas
      71 5/8 x 89 5/8 in
      182 x 227.5 cm
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    • Shinpei Kusanagi The Ally 2022, 2022 Acrylic on canvas 71 5/8 x 89 5/8 in 182 x 227.5 cm
      Shinpei Kusanagi
      The Ally 2022, 2022
      Acrylic on canvas
      71 5/8 x 89 5/8 in
      182 x 227.5 cm
      Inquire
    • Shinpei Kusanagi Aladdin, 2022 Acrylic on canvas 20 7/8 x 17 7/8 in 53 x 45.5 cm
      Shinpei Kusanagi
      Aladdin, 2022
      Acrylic on canvas
      20 7/8 x 17 7/8 in
      53 x 45.5 cm
      Inquire
    • Shinpei Kusanagi The Ally 2021, 2021 Acrylic on canvas 71 5/8 x 89 5/8 in 182 x 227.5 cm
      Shinpei Kusanagi
      The Ally 2021, 2021
      Acrylic on canvas
      71 5/8 x 89 5/8 in
      182 x 227.5 cm
      Inquire
    • Shinpei Kusanagi Oozin, 2022 Acrylic on canvas 13 1/4 x 9 1/2 in 33.5 x 24.2 cm
      Shinpei Kusanagi
      Oozin, 2022
      Acrylic on canvas
      13 1/4 x 9 1/2 in
      33.5 x 24.2 cm
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    • Shinpei Kusanagi No heat, 2022 Acrylic on canvas 25 3/4 x 20 7/8 in 65.5 x 53 cm
      Shinpei Kusanagi
      No heat, 2022
      Acrylic on canvas
      25 3/4 x 20 7/8 in
      65.5 x 53 cm
      Inquire
    • Shinpei Kusanagi We’ll get out of here alive, 2022 Acrylic on canvas 25 3/4 x 20 7/8 in 65.5 x 53 cm
      Shinpei Kusanagi
      We’ll get out of here alive, 2022
      Acrylic on canvas
      25 3/4 x 20 7/8 in
      65.5 x 53 cm
      Inquire
    • Shinpei Kusanagi Eventually, 2022 Acrylic on canvas 25 3/4 x 20 7/8 in 65.5 x 53 cm
      Shinpei Kusanagi
      Eventually, 2022
      Acrylic on canvas
      25 3/4 x 20 7/8 in
      65.5 x 53 cm
      Inquire
    • Shinpei Kusanagi Weeds, 2022 Acrylic on canvas 20 7/8 x 17 7/8 in 53 x 45.5 cm
      Shinpei Kusanagi
      Weeds, 2022
      Acrylic on canvas
      20 7/8 x 17 7/8 in
      53 x 45.5 cm
      Inquire
  • Shinpei Kusanagi’s work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at Altman Siegel, San Francisco, CA; Taka Ishii Gallery, Tokyo,...
    Shinpei Kusanagi, Look above, 2022

    Shinpei Kusanagi’s work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at Altman Siegel, San Francisco, CA; Taka Ishii Gallery, Tokyo, Japan; SHOP Taka Ishii Gallery, Hong Kong, China; Opera City Art Gallery, Tokyo, Japan; Gallery Sora, Tokyo, Japan; Bankart Studio, Yokohama, Japan; and Makii Masaru Fine Arts, Tokyo, Japan. Group exhibitions include Carnegie Art Museum, Oxnard, CA; Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan; Shane Campbell Gallery, Chicago, IL; Ueno Royal Museum, Tokyo, Japan; and Palace Pocia, Vienna, Austria. The artist’s work can be found in the collections of the LOEWE Foundation; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA; Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan; The Rachofsky Collection, Dallas, TX; and the UBS Art Collection, London, UK.

  • For more information contact info@altmansiegel.com or 415.576.9300.
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