“Night Gazers”, 2019, oil on linen 72 x 96 inches. Courtesy of Nicholas Métivier Gallery.
Artist Keita Morimoto captures the often overlooked beauty of nightlife in her series titled Garden of Light. The alluring paintings are set against the backdrop of the artist’s home in Canada and are inspired by the examples of kaleidoscopic colors that appear after dark. “My recent interest was to explore whether it is possible to capture a feel of urban spaces with the use of figures that echo a sense of the city’s lights and colors,” Morimoto explains in a statement, ” while simultaneously describing a feeling of populating and living with or without figures in the city.
Morimoto is particularly intrigued by the sense of secrecy and calm that the evening brings, and he uses it as a stage for his enigmatic subjects. “While every character is almost fused into urban spaces,” writes Morimoto, “all of the characters that I have chosen in this series and who are still my peers seem to me to display expressions of both ambivalence and tranquility. “
The namesake piece in the series is a magnificent eighteen-foot triptych of downtown Toronto. Although the painting is intended as a continuous panorama, each section shows Toronto at a different time of day. Its global view lays the foundation for the series as the other paintings delve into more intimate scenes and portraits, including several works that are a nod to Edward Hopper’s masterpiece, Nightjars. by Morimoto Night watchers, for example, refers directly to Hopper’s painting and shows three figures outside a grocery store, seemingly caught between purpose and boredom.
Scroll down to see more paintings by Morimoto Garden of Light, and follow the artist on Instagram to keep up to date with his latest creations.
Toronto artist Keita Morimoto explores the vibrancy of nightlife in his paintings of night landscapes.
“Midnight Garden”, 2019, oil on linen canvas, 60 x 60 inches. Courtesy of Nicholas Métivier Gallery.
“Wanderers”, 2019, oil on linen canvas, 50 x 125 inches. Courtesy of Nicholas Métivier Gallery.
The series is titled Garden of Light, and it includes different scenes of city life.
“Garden of Light”, triptych, 2019, oil on panel 96 x 216 inches. Courtesy of Nicholas Métivier Gallery.
“Past and Future”, 2019, oil on linen canvas, 48 x 60 inches. Courtesy of Nicholas Métivier Gallery.
“Reflection”, 2019, oil on linen canvas, 48 x 60 inches. Courtesy of Nicholas Métivier Gallery.
In particular, Morimoto’s work emphasizes the beauty of artificial light.
“Portail”, 2019, oil on panel, 30 x 36 inches. Courtesy of Nicholas Métivier Gallery.
“Homecoming”, 2019, oil on linen canvas, 48 x 60 inches. Courtesy of Nicholas Métivier Gallery.
“Chromatic City”, 2019, oil on panel, 30 x 36 inches. Courtesy of Nicholas Métivier Gallery.
“Light City”, 2019, oil on linen canvas, 42 x 72 inches. Courtesy of Nicholas Métivier Gallery.
“Green City”, 2019, oil on linen canvas, 42 x 72 inches. Courtesy of Nicholas Métivier Gallery.
“Orange City”, 2019, oil on linen canvas, 42 x 72 inches. Courtesy of Nicholas Métivier Gallery.
“Transitional”, 2019, oil on panel, 12 x 24 inches. Courtesy of Nicholas Métivier Gallery.
