Artist talk: The Light Field
Daisuke Ohba is a contemporary Japanese artist whose practice explores the relationship between light, colour, and perception through painting. Graduating from Kyoto University of Art and Design in 2005, he completed an MFA in Oil Painting at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2007. His work is distinguished by the use of iridescent pearl pigments, creating surfaces that shift in colour and appearance according to light and the viewer’s position.
Moving between landscape and abstraction, Ohba’s paintings challenge conventional perceptions of the image, transforming the canvas into a dynamic interplay of light, colour, and space. His approach invites viewers to reconsider how images are experienced, emphasising the role of observation and the changing conditions in which artworks are viewed.
Through his exploration of reflective materials and subtle optical effects, Ohba investigates the boundaries between representation and abstraction. His paintings create a dialogue between the physical qualities of the painted surface and the viewer’s visual experience, revealing how light and perspective can continually alter the perception of an image.
Daisuke Ohba is a contemporary Japanese artist born in Shizuoka in 1981, whose practice explores the relationship between light, colour, and perception through painting. He graduated from Kyoto University of Art and Design in 2005 and completed his MFA in Oil Painting at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2007. His work is distinguished by the use of iridescent pearl pigments, creating surfaces that shift in colour and appearance according to changes in light and the viewer’s position.
Ohba’s paintings move between landscape and abstraction, encompassing forests, mountains, and rhythmic geometric compositions. Through experimentation with reflective materials and subtle optical effects, he challenges conventional perceptions of the painted image, transforming the canvas into a dynamic field of light and colour. His work invites viewers to reconsider the relationship between the artwork, its surroundings, and the act of looking.
Ohba has exhibited widely in Japan and internationally. His major solo exhibitions include The Light Field at SCAI THE BATHHOUSE and magical, ARTROOM in Tokyo (2009), and at the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation in London (2011), followed by exhibitions at SCAI THE BATHHOUSE in 2012, 2017, and 2021. His work has also featured in exhibitions at the Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art and internationally, including FLARE at Tiger Gallery in London (2024). He was awarded the Shell Art Prize in 2004, and his works are held in public and private collections internationally.
Year: 2011
Venue: The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, London
Event: The Light Field — Daisuke Ohba solo exhibition and artist talk
Speakers: Daisuke Ohba and Keith Whittle
Organised by: The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, London