“Monster” by Motomichi, a contemporary multimedia artist known for his bold, graphic illustrations of imaginary mythical creatures, in solid black, white, and red. A piece from his series of paintings exploring the strange, unsettling notion of “Soullessness,” this unique canvas work uses simplified form and a monochromatic palette to generate both an aesthetic and thematic throughline within Motomichi’s body of work. With the use of Black 3.0 the darkest black acrylic paint currently available, Motomichi has rendered the titular figure eerie but not overtly threatening, both shrouded in mystery, and seemingly gentle. In the artist’s own words, the piece feels “scary, but in a very quiet and passive way.” “Monster” measures 40 inches tall by 30 inches wide, and includes the artist’s signature.
Contemporary multimedia artist Motomichi is known for his unique synthesis of animation, sound, and projection with more traditional media like drawing and painting. Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, Motomichi moved to New York City to study at Parsons School of Design, graduating in 1996 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in illustration. His signature style merges the formal, graphic qualities of illustration and design with the fluidity of painting, using a minimal palette of solid black, white, and vibrant red. Motomichi’s work often investigates themes related to the human psyche and the complexity of emotion, using traditional mythology and folklore as a canvas on which to project these curiosities. Some of his most notable two dimensional works are seen in his Monster series, a collection of imagined cryptozoological creatures that the artist uses as visual representations of our fears, and all of the nuances contained within them. Motomichi has exhibited at museums and galleries around the world, including the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York, Winzavod Center for Contemporary Art in Moscow, MARCO in Monterrey, Mexico, and the Taubman Museum of Art in Virginia.
Artist's Statement: "With this series I want to make something scary but in a very quiet and passive way. I am using a new type of paint I found called “Black 3.0” which is the darkest black paint available in the market. Painting with this is a strange experience because depending on the angle, the painted surface becomes like a blackhole so my eyes can’t focus on it and I can lose the sense of balance. It is like painting with shadow.
The title "Soulless" came from my 11-year-old son. One day, he wanted to show me a YouTube channel he likes, which features a collection of bizarre, hyper-realistic 3D-rendered empty rooms. I asked him why he enjoys it, and he responded by saying that it gives him a strange, scary feeling, as if it has no souls."
