‘born to boogie’, 2009 oil on canvas 114.0 ×164.0 cm

kanazawa, japan-based artist masakatsu sashie creates intricate large-scale oil on canvas paintings which feature a post-apocalyptic urban environment. sashie’s paintings are nostalgic, emphasized by notions of destruction and abandonment in an anti-utopian futurescape. many of his works include a city-like sphere which seems to levitate above a failed civilization. these fantastical and futuristic pieces incorporate aspects of post WWII japanese architecture with a more nihilistic end result. in the collection of orb paintings, sashie creates an intricate world which functions with limited mobility– a fragments of commerce and architecture are spun into a single sphere which exists after the modern world has been eliminated. masakatsu sashie’s work is featured at the ‘seven dilemmas: emerging contemporary japanese artists’ exhibition at mizuma and one gallery on now until the 15th of january.

futuristic floating urban orbs by masakatsu sashie ‘asphalt’, 2008 oil on canvas 112 ×194 cm

futuristic floating urban orbs by masakatsu sashie left: ‘monster’, 2009; oil on canvas; 194.0 ×162.0cm      right: ‘planet’, 2010; oil on canvas; 162 ×130.3 cm

futuristic floating urban orbs by masakatsu sashie ‘bazzar’, 2010 oil on canvas 130.3 ×194 cm

futuristic floating urban orbs by masakatsu sashie left: ‘leaden gray’, 2010; oil on canvas; 162 ×130.3 cm right: ‘utility’, 2010; oil on canvas; 65.2 ×53 cm

futuristic floating urban orbs by masakatsu sashie ‘moon’, 2009 oil on canvas 194 ×259 cm