Year: 2022
Medium: acrylic on paper
Dimensions: 31.8 x 23.8 cm (12 1/2 x 9 3/8 in.)
Acquired from Taka Ishii Gallery, 2022
Speaking of Gokita, he is synonymous with his human portraits with bold monochrome brushstrokes. However, in reality, he is an artist with a very diverse expression, and many colorful abstract works can be seen in his early paintings. This work is a small piece of paperwork in colors. In recent years, he has shown that his works on canvas are not only developed in monochrome but also with rich colors, entering an era of color in Gokita’s works again. Perhaps influenced by the informality of paperwork, the freer and easier brushstrokes make this an impressive piece of work. Although it is clearly a portrait of a human head, the form is somewhat abstracted. The eyes are covered by something like goggles, and details of the mouth, nose, ears, and other parts are expressed in an ambiguous way. The skin is compositionally painted in a purple tone with patchwork-like gradations that stand out strongly against the dark off-white background. On closer inspection, a similar purple hue can be seen subtly as the skin lurking in the inner depths of the background. Again, the meaningful title “Folk Tale” further stimulates the viewer’s imagination.
