Japan

Joe is currently working on a new series of paintings and drawings inspired by scenes from Japan. He travelled there in 2024, gathering sketches and photographs as reference material. Working in oil paints, fine liners, and marker pens, Joe is developing a body of work that will be exhibited as a complete series in the future. Limited edition prints of select pieces are already available.

"I’m trying to create a heightened reality in this series, with visual references to cyberpunk, anime, computer game aesthetics and hyperrealist artists. I'm fascinated by the underground and grungy aspects of Japanese culture that exist in contrast with the stereotypically formal and polite society.  There is an intriguing dissonance between the restraint seen in daily life and the complex and vibrant subcultures of nightlife, entertainment, and eroticism. I hope to explore these themes in this series."