Happy Long Life 2011

Kazuaki Tanahashi, born around 1933, made this painting, Happy Long Life, with fluid strokes of red paint. It's like he’s dancing with the brush, isn't it? There’s something so immediate about the way the paint is applied here. It looks thin in some places and built up in others, allowing the off-white of the paper to breathe through. Look at the lower curve of the form, where the paint pools and shines, then thins out, revealing the texture of the brushstrokes. It gives the painting such an ephemeral quality, like a fleeting moment captured in ink. The golden halo at the top reminds me of Brice Marden’s calligraphic paintings, but here, there's something freer, less constructed, a real sense of spontaneity. Ultimately, it's an image that celebrates the beauty of process and the joy of mark-making, inviting us to embrace the fluidity of life. Happy long life indeed.