Eimei Kaneyama
Eimei Kaneyama considers himself to be working somewhere between representation and abstract painting. Starting with a shape unfamiliar even to himself, the artist draws based on memories associated with scenes, events, and articles consistently discovered in his daily life. These may be perceived consciously or not, their associated memories built and expanded upon the surface of his canvas. Third generation Korean-Japanese who had a childhood in Japan and was educated in America, Kaneyama continuously asks himself: “Who am I, and where do I belong?”. Disoriented and fragmented landscapes, intense contrasting colors, and dripping paint entangle and appear as improvised. However, upon observation, a more realistic scene is revealed. His method of titling his works leaves them open to interpretation, reflecting Kaneyama’s own attitude toward the constant changes in social phenomena. Kaneyama’s profound interest in such matters merges with personal histories, unfolding through his imagery as a reflection of a highly subjective perspective.
Eimei Kaneyama (b. 1981) studied Fine Art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and currently lives and works in Seoul. He has held solo exhibitions Water Sea Road, Whistle, Seoul (2020); BLACK, RED, WHITE, Art Major, Seoul (2019); OTTO, Whistle, Seoul (2017), and DIDITAGAIN, alter.ego, Seoul (2017); and has participated in group exhibitions at Atelier Aki, ONE AND J. Gallery, Common Center, Salon de H, among others. Recently, Kaneyama collaborated with photographer Suguru RYUZAKI in publishing HAND / TINTED POST X.