Empty Spaces and Quirky Subjects

Hiroki Kawanabe is one of my favorite Instagram painters. His intentionally amateurish paintings capture our attention with their quirky subject matter and the unexpected spacing between elements in the artwork. A half-cup of coffee. The back of someone's head, partially. A close-up of the corner of an umbrella at night. Rain captured by a street light. A big space between two birds. A street light as seen through the branches of a tree. And clothes hanging in the closet. This work is exciting because it's refreshing and unexpected. He points his camera in the opposite direction from where everyone else is pointing their cameras. He looks at what others would not bother looking at. If he had painted these subjects photo-realistically, it would've detracted from the childlike innocence and his refreshing vision.