TEZUKAYAMA GALLERY is pleased announce Masaaki Suzuki’s solo exhibition, “Follow the Reflections”.

Masaaki Suzuki was born in Aichi Prefecture in 1981 and graduated from the Western Painting Course at Nagoya University of Arts in 2004. He completed his master in the Oil Painting Department of the Fine Arts at Aichi Prefectural University of the Arts in 2008. He continues working based in Aichi Prefecture. He creates series such as “Nightscapes”, depicting urban and suburban night scenes, and “Light on the Desk,” depicting still life objects such as wires and spheres illuminated by limited light sources in a darkroom.

The light depicted by Suzuki is consistently “artificial light.” For over 20 years since his student days, he has been exploring “artificial light” as the theme of his works. Through his canvases, he captures not only the scenes brought by light but also nuances of emotions such as nostalgia. He also continues to examine light as a concept and the surrounding environment through his creations.

The “Nightscapes” depicted in Suzuki’s works are captured by the artist himself through photographs taken at actual locations he visited. These works, starting from the “artificial light” captured through the lens, deform urban landscapes such as the outlines of buildings and residential areas and tree-covered promenades revealed by the reflection of light, enhancing anonymity. Rather than simply portraying the information seen by the eyes, his works reveal the artist’s consciousness of capturing the flow of light on the screen, capturing it in detail. In other words, while Suzuki’s works deal with the motif of “Nightscapes”, the most important theme is light itself. At the same time, they reflect his interest in the relationship and connection between the phenomenon of “visibility” brought about by reflection and refraction and the “invisible (or incomprehensible by the eyes)” such as memory and presence.

The title of this exhibition, “Follow the Reflections” . The word “Reflection” also contains the meanings of introspection and contem- plation. From the past to the present, within the “artificial light” that continues to illuminate urban and suburban landscapes, viewers can evoke their own mental landscapes, intertwined with their memories and experiences, as if seeing future scenes layered upon the present.

[Artist Statement]

Visiting places drawn in the past as if observing from a fixed point. Streetlights are gradually switching to LEDs, and the bright white light illuminates the night city in an inorganic manner. The unchanging cityscape at night feels significantly different from before. Staring at the light, the things that were once there fade away like afterimages that remain in the eyes even after the light has disap- peared, eventually fading away.

Walking through the night city, following the reflections illuminated by the light. Based on actual scenes witnessed, I aim to depict the intangible aspects such as memories and presence.
Individual memories drifting like lingering scents amidst the rational formation of the city. Overlooked small events might become new starting points.

The flowing afterimage is like a resonance lingering after something has passed, but at the same time, it indicates a future heading somewhere.

Masaaki Suzuki