Fu Qiumeng Fine Art
Hisao Hanafusa
Fifth Dimension Byōbu II, 2021
six-panel folding screen, silver aluminum paint, silver leaves on paper
26.5 x 57.5 per panel
An exquisite example of Hisao Hanafusa’s enigmatic series “Fifth Dimension,” Byōbu II combines the traditional Japanese art of gilded screens with a post-minimalist interest in the idea of process. The three vertical shapes in dark grays, which are made of chemically treated aluminum paints, call to mind the shadow of a figure. When folded, the chemicals slowly oxidize the silver leaves on the adjacent panel, changing their complexions, and in doing so, create an indexical print of the former.
Contact Gallery
Gallery Website
Fu Qiumeng Fine Art
Hisao Hanafusa
Fifth Dimension-QM7, 2019
Aluminum Paint on Canvas
24 x 19 1/4 in, 61 x 49 cm
“The Fifth Dimension” series is the latest result of Hanafusa’s continuous exploration of the materialities of the medium and the transcendental qualities that they possess. Expanding beyond the three-dimensionality of space and time as the fourth dimension, Hanafusa probes into the mysterious, ineffable territory which he calls the fifth dimension, a deeply personal concept that allows the artist to view his work with fresh perspectives. An exquisite example of the enigmatic series and a centerpiece of the exhibition, Byōbu II combines the traditional Japanese art of gilded screens with a post-minimalist interest in the idea of process. The three vertical shapes in dark grays, which are made of chemically treated aluminum paints, call to mind the shadow of a figure. When folded, the chemicals slowly oxidize the silver leaves on the adjacent panel, changing their complexions, and in doing so, create an indexical print of the former. These undefined shapes bear witness to the passage of time and the process of becoming. The answer to the inexplicable question of what exactly it becomes is precisely what underpins Hanafusa’s representation of the fifth dimension—a mysterious, ineffable dimension that powers his art.
Contact Gallery
Gallery Website
Fu Qiumeng Fine Art
Hisao Hanafusa
Fifth Dimension-QM11, 2019
Aluminum Paint on Canvas
24 x 19 1/4 in, 61 x 49 cm
“The Fifth Dimension” series is the latest result of Hanafusa’s continuous exploration of the materialities of the medium and the transcendental qualities that they possess. Expanding beyond the three-dimensionality of space and time as the fourth dimension, Hanafusa probes into the mysterious, ineffable territory which he calls the fifth dimension, a deeply personal concept that allows the artist to view his work with fresh perspectives. An exquisite example of the enigmatic series and a centerpiece of the exhibition, Byōbu II combines the traditional Japanese art of gilded screens with a post-minimalist interest in the idea of process. The three vertical shapes in dark grays, which are made of chemically treated aluminum paints, call to mind the shadow of a figure. When folded, the chemicals slowly oxidize the silver leaves on the adjacent panel, changing their complexions, and in doing so, create an indexical print of the former. These undefined shapes bear witness to the passage of time and the process of becoming. The answer to the inexplicable question of what exactly it becomes is precisely what underpins Hanafusa’s representation of the fifth dimension—a mysterious, ineffable dimension that powers his art.
Contact Gallery
Gallery Website
Fu Qiumeng Fine Art
Hisao Hanafusa
Uchuiden Kioku (Cosmic inherent memory)-QM14, 2003
Aluminum Paint on Canvas
8 x 10 in, 20.3 x 25.4 cm
Hanafusa believes that all human beings are interconnected through the shared, obscure memories of the cosmos, or uchuiden, which serves as the spiritual foundation for his Cosmic Inherent Memory (Uchuiden Kioku) series. He wrote: “My work is an exploration of the mysteries of my own uchuiden.” Since the early 2000s, Hanafusa has been experimenting with unique ways of making works that are neither painting nor objects. Water-and-oil-based aluminum paints are brushed onto the canvas and stratified under gravity. The paints flow and converge, drying into the traces of bubbles and wrinkles on the resulting flat, smooth, and shining layer atop the canvas. The materials interact spontaneously, allowing their intrinsic qualities to dictate the outcomes. The series demonstrates Hanafusa’s unique philosophy of harnessing the innate power of nature and his career-long investigation of both the materiality and the medium of his creations.
Contact Gallery
Gallery Website
Contact Us
