Dai Ban

In my work now, the form comes first. I avoid intentional thoughts. What happens then seems to emerge from some deep subconscious reservoir: maybe from childhood, maybe from an unconscious feeling in the moment, maybe from something beyond this lifetime. I just let it come out until the form feels right. There is a sense of freedom from conscious deliberation. Then I engage in the conversations with my form and finish it without decorating but try to keep it pared down to what is essential. With hundreds of iterations of the same movements, the same strokes, I apply plaster compound to each surface until I find the right colors, the right shades, the right textures until everything is settled into place.

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Born in Japan, Dai Ban studied fine art and sculpture in Tokyo at Musashino Art University. He came to the United States in 1985, and moved from New York City to the Berkshires in 1993.