Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on September 2010

Fiach MacHugh O’Byrne, 2010, mixed media (oil on hardwood under glass lens, textile, brass hardware, and Irish tipper header), 182.88 x 15.24 x 25.4cm
Courtesy of Hiromart Gallery

Exploring themes of freedom, martyrdom and history, US artist Paddy Shaw unveils his new exhibition, “Variation on Mission X,” at Hiromart Gallery in Bunkyo-ku. The centerpiece of the show is “The Seven Severed Heads” series, which features iconic victims of oppression, ranging from Scottish hero William Wallace to modern figures like film director Theo Van Gogh, who was assassinated for criticizing the treatment of women in Islam. The soulful oil on hardwood portraits are encased in glass lenses and hung from textile banners, emphasizing both the decapitation of the figures and their subsequent iconic status. “Didactic art has always appealed to me,” the artist explains. “My aim is to create a uniform piece with subtle shifts from real to ideal to surreal.”

Hiromart Gallery Tokyo
Paddy Shaw. Variations on Mission X. Painting. Until Sep 26, free. 1-30-7 Sekiguchi, Bunkyo-ku. Tel: 03-6233-9836. Open Wed-Sat 1-7pm, closed Sun-Tue. Nearest stn: Edogawabashi or Waseda. www.hiromartgallery.com