Osamu Kobayashi’s work is a metaphor for how he sees the world. The Brooklyn-based artist creates abstract paintings with wide, curving brushstrokes, covering or revealing a colorful underlayer of gradients or bright tones. Some paintings suggest a face, a profile, the curve of a body, or a pair of eyes.
Whitewall visited Kobayashi at his studio in Gowanus to learn more about his practice and the dance required for his signature sweeping gestures. Our conversation took place just before his planned residency in Brescia, Italy. He’s now been there for a month, so we checked in via email to see how he was doing given the COVID-19 global pandemic and crisis in Italy. Kobayashi was kind enough to share his experience below.
