Naohiko Kuriyaki | epica-after-mariasama

■ Curator's Note

The epica-after series takes cultural and religious imagery as its point of departure, building dense, rhythmically charged compositions from crayon, colour pencil, sign marker and tempera on large-format paper. In Kuriyaki's practice, drawing and writing are made to coexist within a single surface: the bodily gesture of mark-making and the inscription of text interweave, evoking what he calls a 'pre-pictorial' mode of image-making — one that precedes the conventions of Western easel painting and connects instead to icons, Yamato-e, and prehistoric cave drawings.

An icon-like Madonna image revisited — or drawn 'after'. Religious stillness and vital disorder coexist within the density of crayon and colour pencil. The introduction of reverse perspective measures emotional rather than spatial depth; figure drawing without a model quietly connects to the tradition of icon painting.

■ About the Artist

Naohiko Kuriyaki is an artist based in Fukuoka, Japan, and a graduate of Kyushu University's Faculty of Design (Design Strategy, 2014). He works in large-format drawing on full-sheet paper (788 × 1092 mm), using crayon, colour pencil, sign marker, tempera, and related media.

Winner of the Grand Prize at the 21st Century Art Borderless Exhibition (National Art Center, Tokyo, 2024). Exhibited at MADSART GALLERY, Italy (2022). Selected for the New York Open Exhibition and SHIBUYA ART AWARD 2023. Listed on Singulart (international art marketplace).

■ Condition & Specs

• Title: epica-after-mariasama
• Year: 2026
• Medium: crayon, colour pencil, sign marker, tempera and more on paper
• Size: 109.2 × 78.8 cm (W×H)
• Signature: signed · one-of-a-kind
• Condition: Very Good

■ Guarantee

ART & DAY is an authorised dealer operating under a direct consignment agreement with the artist. Every work is accompanied by a gallery-issued Certificate of Authenticity, guaranteeing its provenance.

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