Strange Ritual

Strange ritual is a work by the Japanese artist Tomoo Gokita (Tokyo, Japan, 1969). His elegantly mystifying creations blend archetypes of film noir, pulp fiction, and 1960s erotica. Gokita’s works are reminiscent of the cryptic fantasies of the surrealists, but also draw on Neo-Expressionism and pop culture influences. His grayscale paintings evoke portraits of celebrities and movie stars, but present haunting scenes in which flesh transforms and melts, while faces remain hidden by masks or veils of paint.