Flaming horse 1964

Tadashi Nakayama made this Flaming Horse sometime around 1964, and I can only imagine what it might have felt like to make something so energetic. You can tell Nakayama wasn't afraid to just go for it! It looks like he was playing with different textures and colors, letting them collide and dance around each other. The brown background is a warm and earthy tone, but it is contrasted by the more dynamic blacks, reds, yellows, and whites of the horse itself. I wonder if Nakayama thought of Wassily Kandinsky’s paintings when he was making this piece? I love the way the horse seems to be bursting with energy and movement, almost like it's about to leap off the canvas. It reminds me that paintings aren't just pictures—they're like portals to different ways of seeing and feeling, and they are often in conversation with each other, across time and place.