sho shibuya’s dawn work infuse yves saint laurent miami gallery with calming escapism

sho shibuya paints gradient sunrises for saint laurent rive droite

on the occasion of the comeback of art basel miami, saint laurent rive droite has launched an ephemeral gallery housing an exhibition of works by japanese-born artist sho shibuya. commissioned by saint laurent creative director anthony vaccarello, the display includes a new series of paintings called ’55 sunrises’ to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the french house’s first boutique in paris, and was on view from

shibuya gained widespread popularity during the 2020 lockdown, thanks to his captivating ‘sunrises from a small window’ series, where he painted gradient sunrises onto the new york times as a creative way to document the days spent at home.

all images courtesy of sho shibuya

dubbed ’55 sunrises’, this exhibition is the first time that shibuya’s works have been showcased publicly together. lined up at the same height and framed in identical white frames, the abstract paintings appear to float in seamless succession. ordered chronologically between august 14, 2020 and august 21, 2021, the works depict the changing colors of the sky throughout the day — from pale blue morning tones to pink shades of twilight and dazzling orange-yellow hues of midday. all paintings present the artist’s characteristic calming colors, showcasing a deeply poetic, contemplative character.