Today’s Material

This painting alludes to the Japanese choreographer Tatsumi Hijikata (1928-1986), creator of the "butoh", a genre of post-war dance performance art that revolutionised traditions. This art form, sometimes described as the "dance of the dark body," brings writhing bodies out of the shadows and leaves a lasting impression on the spectator. Inspired by photographs taken at the end of Hijikata's life by Yasuo Kuroda, this work by Sanya Kantarovsky conceals the dancer's face. Only his unruly hair and emaciated, almost disjointed limbs are highlighted, while he holds a small theatre mask in his hand, as though his face had been detached from his body.