SHAKKEI
"I created a body of work that for the first time consciously incorporates this concept of 'borrowing' in its deepest sense."
- Michael F. Rumsby
The word ‘shakkei’ (sha’’ kay) is Chinese in origin and formed by two words coming together 借 (borrow) and 景 (scenery, view). Dating back to the 17th Century, the concept of ‘borrowed scenery’ in principle was incorporating background landscape into the composition of a garden thus enhancing the overall aesthetic. Inspired by Michael's travels through Asia and Europe, this luminous collection enhances the beauty of nature's palette, blurring the lines between memory and reality.
Rumsby’s second London solo show demonstrates a rapid growth in maturity with a collection of work that is bold, considered, and unafraid to celebrate the joy he clearly finds in the scenes he remembers, binding them together with a palpable energy that exudes happiness. The narrative of the works explores how the human mind chooses to remember the past, often enhancing, or exaggerating reality to create a source of comfort or validation.