Year: 2022
Medium: oil under chromed canvas with patina
Dimensions: 228.6 x 162.6 cm (90 x 64 in.)
Acquired from KOTARO NUKAGA, 2022
“The Life We Left Behind” is considered the most representative work of Hod, with a mirror-like metallic surface. The production process is rather complicated. A chrome film was created on an oil painted canvas, and it covers the surface like plating. It is then degraded and peeled off by using chemical reactions of acid and ammonia. The chrome layer reflects the image and the light gently like a dull mirror, and with the rust-like shadow caused by oxidation. The picture of shadow and light that is different from one with coloring creates a mysterious contrast with the oil painting layer. Standing in front of this artwork, one will inevitably recognize their own reflection shimmering like a heat haze. A glass mirror reflects the superficial surface of someone’s figure. Though for Hod’s work, there is no clear reflection, but instead it throws back the sight at an even deeper part of the person. Hod’s mirror appeals to the viewer’s inner self. As the title of this work “The Life We Left Behind” suggests, there is a past of one’s own that nobody else can see, and it ultimately prompts thoughts about the future.
