Exhibitions | MAKI Gallery | MAKI

MAKI Gallery is delighted to present London-based artist Johnny Abrahams’ inaugural solo exhibition in Japan, titled 24 Colors for Junichi, at our Tennoz gallery space. Abrahams’ abstract paintings initially appear as compositions of forms and colors, yet upon closer inspection, a depth emerges through their tactile materiality. His use of raw hessian canvas, the texture of his layered paint, and the subtle ebb and flow created by the palette knife generate slight yet certain never-settling oscillations that bring his paintings to life. It is not rigid perfection that he aims to create in his paintings, but rather an unpredictable nature that counterbalances strict intention with accidents. In this way, Abrahams succeeds in making the painted geometric forms more immediate, relatable, and present, leaving traces of his own actions and sentiments.

Abrahams’ practice is deeply rooted in a fascination with science, particularly the creation of elements. This exploration into the origins of matter and the assembly and perception of the material world profoundly informs his work. Referring to the fact that light is produced during the birth of matter, Abrahams states, “The creation of matter generates the light that allows us to perceive that matter is something that I see as being very poetic and provides me with a source of great inspiration for my work. I've always seen the forms in my paintings and the relationships between them as metaphors for that moment of material creation.”