[Audio Guide]
Numerous ellipses erupt across a white ground, each layered with diluted red and black. Some are elongated, while in other places two ellipses appear to overlap. Drips spreading outward from these forms give the surface dynamism and directional flow. The clusters of large and small ellipses suggest protogalaxies born in the expanding early universe, while the white background appears to represent the “cosmic noon,” when protogalaxies repeatedly collided and merged, growing brighter as they evolved. Dynamic and even chaotic, Universe Red and Black can be seen as depicting the universe in its turbulent beginnings. As a child, Kanayama Akira avidly read books by the theoretical physicist George Gamow and enjoyed observing the night sky. From 1993 onward, he produced many works on the theme of astronomy. Kanayama began this painting much earlier and completed it over the course of 20 years. He may have been inspired by dramatic advances in cosmology derived from new observational findings.
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