Christian Hidaka: Theatres of the Sky, Skies of the Theatre

When we trace the history of painting, we discover that it began with the impulse to remember. Whether through ancient cave paintings that recorded early human life or portraits created to honor those we love, we have long believed in the power of images to hold memories.

The Children⁺ Exhibition Christian Hidaka: Theatres of the Sky, Skies of the Theatre grows from this idea. It poses a fundamental question about the relationship between image and memory—and, more broadly, about how art helps us make sense of the world. Born to a Japanese mother and a British father, Christian Hidaka studied and now practices painting in the United Kingdom. Drawing on reflections about the role of painting in the digital age, he creates immersive, hand-painted worlds filled with subtle echoes of artists such as Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso,  alongside  fragments  of  natural  elements,  mythologies,  and  history. By weaving together Eastern and Western traditions and bringing multiple times and places into a shared pictorial space, he articulates his deeply held vision of transcultural narratives.

In this exhibition, Hidaka presents large-scale murals and installations that take his painterly explorations beyond the canvas. His works stretch across walls and floors, merging painting with the surrounding architecture. The mural recalls ancient cave art and classical East Asian landscapes, while geometric forms offer inventive, diverse interpretations of perspective. In Western art, linear perspective is centered on the viewer’s gaze—"I see." By contrast, East Asian modes of depiction imply a scene unfolding before the viewer—"It is seen" or "It comes into view." Rather than capturing a fixed moment, this approach reflects a fluid memory shaped by observation and experience. The artist brings together these distinct visual logics, encouraging viewers not merely to look, but to fully navigate and engage with the work. He also paints with natural pigments—such as Renaissance tempera or traditional Asian stone-based inks—made from minerals, wood, and earth, fusing nature and art, East and West.

The exhibition’s title, Theatres of the Sky, Skies of the Theatre, is inspired by the writing of Renaissance historian Frances Yates, known for her studies on memory and imagery. In this view, memory becomes a stage for imagination—and that stage, spanning both the cosmos and the earth, becomes a “theatre of the sky.” This is where memory and imagination converge; where place and image create narrative; where art becomes a bridge between life and the universe. Christian Hidaka’s work brings us to that threshold, inviting us to see the world anew through the transformative power of art.

*Children⁺ Exhibition at Buk-Seoul Museum of Art welcomes children and adults alike to explore contemporary art in engaging and inspiring ways. Artists draw from the world of children as a wellspring of creativity and curiosity, sparking new artistic experiments. Blending educational elements with fresh perspectives, the exhibition encourages viewers to deepen their understanding of artistic language and discover new ways of seeing the world.