Noe Baba - Paintings

“ Through invention, colour and mark-making, I am interested in creating tension between playfulness and melancholy.  My Paintings compromise spaces alluding to such things as the weather and time of day. These spaces can involve motifs that reference nature, for example, clouds, trees and cacti. Sometimes characters appear, inspired by ancient dolls and contemporary animation from my Japanese heritage. These subjects are not specifically symbolic; I am interested in how in just a few marks they can become recognisable. One can relate to them or be reminded of oneself, and so ultimately empathise with the painting. 

In working towards this show, I have been focusing in on certain elements of my work and in turn expanding them. This process has led to outcome where the characters are not always neccesary, or are perhaps more ambiguous. Sometimes the motifs themselves become the characters. The small works are liek drawings, just one thought, evolving onto large canvases and becoming many. This has created a new relationship in my work between the dramatic and the intimate”. - Noe