It is difficult to succinctly describe Keisuke MATSUDA's paintings. One can point to elements like the physicality and speed of his brushstrokes, the impression of his colors, or the spatial quality created by negative space, but this does not answer the question of what is actually being painted.
They are not lines or planes, letters or concrete forms. And yet, the artist says they are not abstract. MATSUDA himself explains, "I am painting the world itself."
He paints what he sees before it becomes a fixed image. I do not know if such a thing is possible, but it is a practice he continues. The result is not a defined image, but an honest line. Perhaps this is how a brush behaves when one, with sincerity and an inward focus, simply tries to grasp the essence of the world.
His work touches upon the fields of painting, drawing, and calligraphy, and whether intentionally or not, it slips effortlessly between them. In a time when we are weary of the flood of artificial images, MATSUDA's work is exciting; it gives the feeling that something new is about to be born.