Created By
Mizuki Nishiyama
Oil on Canvas
Curator
Jonathan Thomson
“Pragma” is a tender work depicting a seated figure, possibly nude but of indeterminate sex nestling in close communication with another. Both are almost lost in a vigorously worked and totally resolved surface of edgy yet confident, highly painterly marks in a hot rich palette that clearly give precedent to colour over line.
In Greek there are different words to describe various kinds of love. Pragma represents commitment and family. Eros can slowly shift into Pragma, where a realm of compromise, devotion, and selflessness remains intact. Nishiyama presents us with a powerful visual translation of this feeling, where two anthropomorphic figures merge together in the depth of the layered oil paint. A warm fiery blood orange slices through hints of marigold and amber, bringing forth a sense of heat and warmth. The transfer of kinetic energy from one body to the another, from one soul to another, is palpable; radiating through the whole pictorial surface with a striking balance between intensity and gentleness.
Created By
Mizuki Nishiyama
61 x 76 cm | 24 x 30 in
Wooden framed in dark brown
2022