Shigeo Otake: Agoraphilia at White Cube

I have a soft spot for whimsical art that not only feels like a chance to peek into a mysterious world but also creates the illusion of historical depth. Everything works perfectly together in these paintings: the medium is egg tempera, an old, pre-oil painting technique, typical for the early Renaissance. The colour palette gives these daily scenes a good dose of nostalgia. Are these historical paintings from a bizarre universe of strange creatures co-existing with obviously sentient fungi? Are these naive depictions of what a lost traveller had seen in faraway lands? Or are these just feverish dreams?

Highly recommend this exhibition if you love Shaun Tan books, Northern Renaissance, and Japanese folklore (and maybe mycology? or at least if you are intrigued by fungi)

Exhibition period: 10.07–29.08
Gallery address: 50 Connaught Road Central