Tomoyuki Shinki

WORKING FOR OVER FIFTEEN YEARS FROM A GROUP STUDIO IN HIS HOMETOWN OF OSAKA, JAPAN, TOMOYUKI SHINKI HAS EVOLVED FROM A PRIVATE DIGITAL MAKER INTO A MASTERFUL FIGURATIVE DRAUGHTSMAN, WITH ARTWORKS HELD IN KEY ASIAN, AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN COLLECTIONS.

SHINKI STUDIES THE PHYSICAL ARC OF COMBAT. HIS TECHNICOLOUR ABSTRACTIONS ARE SNAPSHOTS OF KINETIC TENSION. THEY VIBRATE WITH AFFECTION FOR AN INTIMATE MASCULINE THEATRE. YET THEY TRANSCEND THE OILY MUSCULATURE AND SLOW-MOTION IT INTO A STILL-LIFE.

THE ARTIST HIMSELF IS NEITHER BYSTANDER NOR PARTICIPANT. HE IS DOCUMENTARIAN, INTERPRETER, WITNESS. HIS ROLE, TO CAPTURE THE CLIMAX. HIS TALENT, TO FREEZE ITS ACTORS IN HIS SHARPENED GAZE. FOR THESE GRAPHIC RECORDS SPEAK AS MUCH TO THE AUTHOR’S PERSONAL MOBILITY AND DAILY RITUALS, AS TO THE SWEAT, THE SHOUT AND THE MELODRAMA OF THE RING.

SHINKI IS EXHIBITED REGULARLY WITHIN JAPAN AND BY THE MUSEUM OF EVERYTHING IN LONDON, PARIS, ROTTERDAM AND TASMANIA. HE WAS RECENTLY SELECTED BY ARTIST GRAYSON PERRY TO REPRESENT HIS COUNTRY IN THE ROYAL ACADEMY’S SUMMER EXHIBITION 2018.