Sho Shibuya, Devastation, August 12, 2023, acrylic, paper ash and paper, 12 x 22 inches.
Like clockwork, Sho Shibuya wakes up automatically every day between 5 and 6 a.m., he says The New York Times and photograph the sunrise from your window or roof. Then he goes for a run, takes a cold shower and has breakfast with his wife before painting the morning sunrise on the front page of the newspaper. Concealing the print under a layer of acrylic paint, finish the piece with a deacidifying spray to prevent the newspaper from yellowing. Representing the sky's ever-changing color palette spanning deep blue, pink-violet and deep orange, her daily ritual became the “Sunrise from a Small Window” series documenting her life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Posting his artworks daily on Instagram, they were an instant hit, providing a sense of relief, calm and inspiration not only to him, but to thousands of viewers. That morning sky quickly evolved into an abstract, prismatic reflection of Shibuya's emotions on a given day, whenever it became particularly excited by news, which could represent fires, floods, hurricanes, man-made disasters, wars , shootings, election results, natural. phenomena, significant global events or more cheerful topics.
Sho Shibuya, 230128, 2023, acrylic on newsprint, 69.4 x 43.9 cm framed
Tell me about the origins of your series “Sunrise from a Small Window” in April 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown in New York, the main idea behind it and why you use The New York Times cover as canvas.
I was stuck in my little studio in Brooklyn. Each day, absorbing the bad news, I wondered how I could adjust to this new normal without feeling overwhelmed. A few days passed and I realized that I couldn't hear the sounds of cars honking or people shouting from the small windows in my studio. I heard the birds chirping energetically and the sound of the wind in the trees, and I looked up and saw the bright sky, beautiful as ever despite the changed world below. I was intrigued by the contrast between the chaos of the world and the stunning sunrises every day. I began to capture the moment in the journal, contrasting the anguish of the news with the serenity of the sky, creating a record of my new normal. I selected The New York Times because it's the newspaper I read every day, and because New York City is my home.
Describe your recent exhibition 'Month' at Unit London. What did you want people to take away or learn from your exhibition? What is your relationship with the weather and the morning sky?
Sometimes when I look at the sky, I can always find the most peaceful and beautiful thing above us. It's always there and always will be. It's a good reminder to take a break and reconnect with nature.
How do you currently divide your time between your art work and your graphic design work?
I am focusing on my painting. I haven't done graphic design work since 2020.
Sho Shibuya, Invasion, February 25, 2022, acrylic, 12 x 22 inches.
How does graphic design inform your art today, as some of your artwork has very strong design elements that resemble advertising?
Basically, what I've been doing is the same between graphic design and art; it's about visual communication. The only difference is that the customer is now myself.
Why did you move to New York City in 2011 despite having no connections there and speaking little English? Why do you choose to live and work in Brooklyn, and what have you been able to achieve there that you couldn't have achieved anywhere else?
I wanted to be a better designer. After three years of working in a publishing house as an editorial designer, I started my company in Tokyo when I was 24 years old. I hustled for the company to survive. Later, my business went well, I hired people and got more clients; however, what I did was the same level of design, with nothing new to learn. I couldn't imagine 10 years from now still doing the same thing. So I spent all my savings to go to New York City. I decided to go there because my friends recommended many great artists and designers who live there. I believed them and booked a ticket.
What new projects or exhibitions are you currently working on?
Travel to different countries to collect and paint local newspapers as the ancient Japanese woodcut artists Hiroshige and Hokusai had done.
