Bambinart Gallery is pleased to present "Amethyst / Dog barking at the moon / And I burn down the bridge", a solo-exhibit by Shoyo Jahana.

Shoyo Jahana (b. 1987, Okinawa) graduated from the Sculpture department at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2011 and received his Masters at the same university in Intermedia Art in 2013. In both occasions, his talent was noted by the Art Award Tokyo Marunouchi: the Koyama Tomio prize in 2011 and the grand prize in 2013.

Jahana's work is a palimpsest of words. He writes down his emotions and daily observations with crayons of his choice until the canvas is completely covered, and then mutes them with a black crayon. He then etches out images using his finger nails, specifically filed and shaped to peel and carve out the colorful words he hid under dark pastel. His process and installation follow rules that evoke ancient rituals of prayer; still, the messages are simple and personal, felt closely at heart for any viewer.

"Thought in its purest form creates division so I'll step back and let my double do the talking. I'll stay where I am, hoping my message gets delivered." (Shoyo Jahana / 2011)

Etched and revealed under the black layer of pastel, we find something beyond personal recollection but an essence of truth.

*image (left)
© Shoyo Jahana
courtesy of the artist and Bambinart Gallery