Takefumi Hori

Miyabi is one of the traditional Japanese aesthetic ideals. In modern Japanese, the word is usually translated as elegance and/or refinement. My practice is based around varying inspirations and artistic endeavors. I am not trying to create works that tell you how to think or feel, I want to be able to make subtle suggestions and allow the viewer to engage on a level that is beyond just the visual. I chose not to give specific titles to my paintings, instead I simply number them, thus allowing them to communicate their own inner meanings.

After years creating abstract works with acrylic on canvas, I searched to find new materials and discover my own style. I live in New York, a city of great energy and life, and wanted to find a style and technique that reflected this along with my own Japanese identity. I spent more time in museums, galleries, parks and boutiques – anywhere there was art in New York.

In 2009, I went to New York’s Metropolitan Museum in my search for inspiration. I became drawn to the gold ornamentation on objects created by people from different cultures across the world from thousands of years ago. Gold, as a signifier of wealth and beauty, seemed ubiquitous throughout the ages and it prompted me to work with this medium.

After long experimentation with gold, I developed my unique painting style. I discovered that compositional elements such as circles, squares and rectangles are ideal forms for gold to work with the other colors on my paintings.

My compositions of these elements are based on my experience with Japanese calligraphy: I place the center of visual weight to the lower left and create movement to the upper right of a canvas. This is to represent my intention of merging Eastern art traditions with Western art.

Takefumi Hori was born in 1978 in Tokyo, Japan where he also later studied Japanese calligraphy. After moving to New York in 2004, he started work on his abstract paintings with acrylic on canvas. Since 2009, Takefumi has been making his gold abstract paintings. He currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.