In the Reflection field series, Ofune focuses his attention on raw materials: natural pieces of crystal, rhyolite, basalt and cinnabar. He chooses a distinctive plane of the stone and coats one surface with powdered mineral pigments including gold powder and lapis lazuli, blurring the lines between the natural element and his creative process. These stones are presented to the viewer as if they were artefacts, yet by applying the crushed pigments, they are elevated from their coarse, natural state, becoming refined and almost otherworldly. In this artwork, and in other works belonging to the series, Ofune establishes a connection between the provenance of his materials and their otherworldly appearance. By titling his sculpture after the Hikotaki shrine, located in the coastal town of Toba where this stone was found, Ofune grounds his practice in the specific features of the territory in a unique way. Reflection field - Hikotaki Toba #2 (2018 – 2020) was realised by employing the precious mineral pigment obtained from grinding lapis lazuli, as well as other precious pigments. The fine powder is applied to the stone with nikawa, an animal gelatin glue, following the traditional nihonga technique. Every colour, tone and shade is the result of the application of many fine layers of pigments: for this reason the piece requires dedication and time before reaching completion. The result is a work that embodies the gentle shimmer of minerals while simultaneously absorbing the light of its surroundings. BIOGRAPHY & COLLECTIONS Makoto Ofune was born in Osaka, Japan in 1977. In 2000, he graduated from the Kyoto University of Education, Department of Fine Arts with a major in Japanese-style painting. In 2016, Ofune was awarded the Fellowship of Overseas Study Programme for Artists by the Japanese Government’s Agency for Cultural Affairs. Ofune currently lives and works in Shiga prefecture, near Kyoto, Japan. Ofune has been the subject of numerous solo exhibitions, galleries include: Yoshii Gallery, New York; Gallery Ami, Osaka; Galerie Akié Arichi, Paris; as well as group shows including at: Neues Museum, Nuremberg; Gallery Koyanagi, Tokyo; and La Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris, Paris. Ofune has also shown work at several shrines in Japan, including Shimogamo-jinja Shinto Shrine, Kyoto, and Kamigamo-jinja Shinto Shrine, Kyoto.