Sundaram Tagore is pleased to announce that Hiroshi Senju has just completed a dynamic series of Waterfall paintings, his first since 2015. For this group of waterfalls Senju began his creative process on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The pristine beauty of Hawaii has inspired Senju’s work in the past, but it was the rugged, almost prehistoric landscape of Oahu’s northern side that struck a chord. The artist has a profound connection to and love of nature. He has been conveying in paint its power and ability to inspire awe for more than 30 years.

The exhibition features waterfalls in Senju’s iconic black-and-white palette, as well as in red and blue, both dark and bright. In one of the paintings, the artist, who mixes his own pigments using crushed rock, coral and other natural materials, has used platinum pigment for the first time in the Waterfall series. Platinum allows him to achieve darkness and light simultaneously and adds a subtle luminosity to the surface of the paintings. 

The exhibition also includes a range of compositions, including dynamic vertical formats that amplify the sensation of the water’s power, energy and movement. Senju creates depth with asymmetrical, layered falls that conjure not just the appearance of rushing water, but also its sound, smell and feel. In other works, he aligns the waterfalls to one side of the composition, creating negative spaces that evoke stillness. A specially curated selection of these pieces will be on show in our Singapore gallery during the Singapore Art Week 2021.


Hiroshi Senju, Waterfall, 2020. Image courtesy of Sundaram Tagore Gallery