MEGUMI OGITA GALLERY held a first solo exhibition in Japan of world-famous Dutch painter, Chris Berens. (2013/12/7 ~ 2014/1/18)

Chris Berens(b.1976) grew up near the historic Netherlands city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch, steeped in the atmosphere exalted by painters like Rembrandt and Vermeer. From an early age, he was immersed in his own inner world, a luminous realm inhabited by enigmatic characters and menageries of strange, compelling creatures. After studying illustration at the Academy of Art and Design in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, he retired to an abandoned building near his hometown and proceeded to teach himself the techniques of the Old Masters, consumed with a desire to document the wondrous narrative unfolding within him. Eventually he set aside his oil paints and began experimenting with drawing inks, a fluid medium which allowed greater flexibility than oils, as well as spectacular distortion effects reminiscent of the view through an ancient handmade lens.

In this exhibition, Chris will release 20 new paintings including large masterpiece. We hope you enjoy his magical world, "NENSHA"!

"My technique is not one I at one time 'made up'. I tried thousands of things and combine the ones that work for me. It is not an isolated technique. It took me 8 years to get to the tecnical point where I am now and it is still very much evolving and will probably be completely different again in a couple of years. The particular ink, paper, brushes, water, varnish, laquers, glue and panels I use happen to work for me for now and are useful only to me. It's just ink and paper. It's no magic ink. Or magic paper. I have been obsessed by my technique -and especially the lack of it an the gaps in it- for years, but only because it withheld me from telling my story and I found myself lost in translation. I try and find and stay true to my own language in imagery, as in my opinon it all comes from gesture -being the aesthetic of the brushstrokes and their emotional impact- your imagination and trying to stay true to yourself. When images come from deep within, regardless the source of inspiration, they're sincere and And nothing can beat that."

date：2013/12/7 - 12/28, 2014/1/7 - 1/18
★Preview Party 12/6 18:00-20:00