Exploring transient modes of existence and ethereal elements, Ofune’s works appear connected to the metamorphic flow of the human state and the natural world: the seasons, light, weather and time. This is evident in the Wave series, an ongoing body of work that represents an intuitive search for the infinite cycles in nature. The works transcend the tangible and intangible through subtle fluctuations in tonality, whose ethereal qualities evoke the passing of light through fine mist or shifting clouds. By using nihon-ga techniques to produce artworks that are essentially abstract, Ofune enters a dialogue between the traditional and contemporary, uniting both within his practice. This is particularly pertinent in the Wave series, which considers opposing themes: the physical and the spiritual, darkness and light, movement and stillness, absence and presence. 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.