Yuri Shimojo: Unbroken Line

Artist Statement

Unbroken Line is about impermanence. It is a metaphor for the ephemerality of life.

I have long been fascinated by the shape of the circle. The cycle of life, the enclosure of memories, the circular wall that holds stories of pain and joy.

This time, I wanted to release myself from the boundary of the circle, to be free from my own story. Instead, I decided to focus on the context of time.

The paintings in the Unbroken Line series are meditative works. The back and forth of the line requires focus and dedication, but my intention is not to create something perfect, clean, or mechanical. A hand painted line takes many days. On some of those days the hand paints vigorously; on other days, the line is fragile.

Viewing these paintings is bearing witnesses to my biorhythms, the distillation of my being in moments in time. The simplicity of the work might also convey to the viewer their own personal landscape, a thread that connects each heartbeat, breath, and gesture. This is our universal experience.