Shigeno Ichimura's 'Moment' Series Exhibited in Contrasting Chelsea Gallery and Corporate Lobby Settings

Shigeno Ichimura's abstract paintings from his 'Moment' series were displayed simultaneously in two distinct New York venues during July 2003. The Japanese-born artist, who moved to New York in 1989, presented delicate small-scale canvases at M.Y. Art Prospects' inaugural Chelsea exhibition at 547 West 27th Street. Oversized versions of the same works, measuring 8 feet tall, were installed in the lobby of Tower 49 at 48th to 49th Street off Madison Avenue. Ichimura's paintings feature fragile washes of iron oxide pigment creating subtle liquid movements without visible brushwork, evoking natural processes like oxidation and mist. The artist describes his central theme as giving physical existence to artwork while maintaining surface imagery. At the intimate Chelsea gallery space, the works prompted contemplative viewing, while in the corporate high-rise lobby they struggled against the architectural scale, with thousands of daily passersby rarely noticing them. The exhibition highlights tensions between spiritual contemplation in art and utilitarian contemporary culture, where meditation practices become divorced from religious contexts. Ichimura's work references Buddhist concepts of emptiness while using materials that suggest rust and transformation processes.