Artist Statement

We all, in a way, are haunted.

While it may not be of the supernatural variety, each of us harbors some memory that follows us around. It might be the smell of your grandmother’s perfume, the first time you kissed your lover, or the way your father smiled at you when you brought home your first pet. Or it could be something much darker: the look your mother gave you when she called you a failure for the first time; the night you were too scared to say no; the smell of bleach as the hospice workers tried to disinfect away the smell of death.

We live our daily lives followed around by ghosts. Apparitions of trauma, despair, and pain, these metaphoric (and perhaps literal) spirits influence our worldviews and actions. Through these paintings, I hope to shine a light into the darkness and delve into the dangerous, yet beautiful, caverns of the mind. Each of these paintings explores the human condition, drawing upon mythology and folklore through a contemporary lens of portraiture, abstract expressionism, and rooted in feminist theory.

Oh, by the way, I wouldn’t turn around if I were you. I think there’s something following you..

To purchase, please email: rick@rickkitagawa.com.  Pieces are on exhibit through April, and if you are local to SF, drop-offs can be arranged.  If you would like your piece shipped, please let Rick know and arrangements can be made prior to invoicing.

Haunted #01 – 5 x 7 – oil on panel – $75

Out For Blood – 5 x 7 – oil on panel – $75

 Haunted #02 – 5 x 7 – oil on panel – $75

A Mother’s Tears – 5 x 7 – oil on panel – $75

In Defiance of Ghosts- 9 x 12 – oil on panel – $200

Ancient Beauty – 11 x 14 – oil on canvas – $230

Open Resistance  – 16 x 20 – oil on canvas board – $450

Fighting The Gag Order With Teeth – 16 x 20 – oil on panel – $450

     

Tainted Fruit – 16 x 20 – oil on panel – $450