Lot 1547: KOJI NOYORI

KOJI NOYORI
(B. 1978)
Festive Day; & My Door, My Master's Door
Festive Day: titled in Japanese; signed 'Koji Noyori' in English; dated '2007' (on the reverse)
My Door, My Master's Door: titled in Japanese; signed 'Koji Noyori' in English; dated '2008' (on the reverse)
two oil and sand on canvas
60 x 72.3 cm. (23 5/8 x 28 1/2 in.); 64.5 x 52.2 cm. (25 3/8 x 20 1/2 in.)
Painted in 2007 & 2008 (2)

The glowing palette of Koji Noyori's painting invites the viewer into the seemingly familiar and simple scene with extreme ease. Commencing with the largest frame of the four sides the canvas we are gently drawn through the various frames in a descending order, swimming in the warm atmosphere created by the use of pastel colors. With unmistakable purpose, Noyori guides the eye through the work, collecting details to re-form the story he has fashioned.

Mixing oil paints with sand, Noyori applies this textural medium to cleverly evoke semi-translucent tiers which, like overlapping cellophane, form fields of depth in his defined spatial arrangement. This illusionist quality reminiscent of artists Rene Magritte and MC Escher; behind door frames and shadows, the artist simultaneously creates flat planes and three dimensional structures. The viewer however does not drown in the immense details of the composition but rather pleasantly explores the plethora of images, deciphering what he or she sees. Could that be a reflection of the lamp and window or two separate lamps in Two Rooms (Lot 1548), or a bowl of cat food in My Door, My Master's Door (Lot 1547) sits on the table or the floor? Noyori's three offered works defies conventional rational composition and uses shapes juxtaposed with elegant application of colors to create a romantic and amusing visual experience.