The two works exhibited this time were shown in the 2003 group exhibition “Proof of Painting”. Painting, which had flourished in the 1980s and 1990s, suddenly faced a difficult situation in which its demise was widely predicted. Under such circumstances, this exhibition was planned with the question “Why painting now?” as its starting point, seeking works whose very existence would serve as a convincing answer. The white works created through the experimental technique of applying casein tempera with an airbrush feature a highly abstract surface that lacks focal points, encouraging the viewer's gaze to wander. I would be delighted if this work, when re-exhibited today, could provide an answer to the question “Why painting now?” from the perspective of 20 years later. JUN KOSHINO