Bortolami is pleased to present a two-person exhibition of works by Maki Katayama and Hikari Ono in The Upstairs, organized by Richard Aldrich. While working in distinct mediums—from Katayama’s systematic exploration of color classification on canvas to Ono’s wall sculptures, characterized by their meticulously treated surfaces—both artists approach painting as a conceptual framework rather than a set of techniques.

Maki Katayama’s paintings examine systems of order, drawing on Sanzo Wada’s A Dictionary of Color Combinations, the landmark 1930s publication that synthesized traditional Japanese color sensibilities with Western color theory. By applying Wada’s color pairings across two related canvases and pressing their wet surfaces together, Katayama explores relationships of color and scale while also introducing chance. This transfer technique and its variations result in compositions that reflect on how color is conveyed and understood.

Hikari Ono’s expansive body of clay sculptures, collectively titled Object for Painting, are conceived as a series of fundamentally tactile paintings. The raw clay, sourced from various regions across Japan, functions as both paint and canvas, while its organic colors, textures, and sculptural forms interact. Through a process of slicing, grooving, folding, and removing, the completed sculptures are air-dried and finished with varnish, allowing Ono to engage her materials as painterly surfaces while preserving their raw sensory presence.