One could say that Japanese painter Shintaro Ohata creates artwork with incredible depth. Those who look at his paintings can reach out and touch the figures portrayed in each one. His special style blends the two-dimensional and three-dimensional worlds by placing sculptures in front of paintings. The figurative sculptures are made from polystyrene. Ohata, 44, says he developed this personal technique by observing the painting in the backgrounds of film and theater.
“This was when I came up with the idea of making sculptures popping out of paintings.”
The artist’s first solo show opened on June 30, 2018, at the Mizuma Gallery in Singapore. He told the media that society lives at such a rapid speed of life that he wanted his audience to merely pause for a moment to appreciate his work and take a “breather.”
Fans of Ohata’s paintings are attracted not only to their stunning colors and imagery but also to these works of art that “paint and sculpt” dreamy stories.
For example, the young figures in his paintings are often depicted living their everyday lives enveloped with surreal beauty. One such painting shows a young girl sitting on a railing in the city. Behind her is the daily buzz of traffic and people. She is listening to her iPod and “trying to find where her real heart is by listening to her favorite music,” he says.
Ohata’s vivid 3-D figurative sculptures look like they are halfway inside the painting and their other half inside the gallery showroom. It’s an incredible play on the senses and the brilliance of illusion. Also, the artist’s mastery over lighting plays another key role in his painting and adds to each piece’s dramatic expression.
According to MutualArt.com, Ohata’s paintings have sold for as little as $6,440 to as much as $22,556.
All images ©Shintaro Ohata | Read more on his gallery website
