Japanese artist Riusuke Fukahori has a special fascination for swimming creatures. His resin paintings of goldfish that appear to be swimming in water have captivated people for years, garnering over 3million Youtube views, bringing him to exhibit in galleries and museums all over the world. Fukahori is not an artist that takes the easy route to realize his vision. Each piece, meticulously painted from living goldfish in his studio, takes months to complete. Although he admits that his process of painting and layering resin is tedious work, nothing beats the accomplishment of seeing his subjects come to life. The goldfish that he paints are special- they are both a representation of himself, and also his metaphor for human existence. For his exhibition at Joshua Liner Gallery in New York, “Goldfish Salvation”, Fukahori will present a new series of his popular resin works, acrylic on wood pieces, and his first video work. In his show statement, he explains how these creatures came to inspire him: “In the aquarium, similar to human society, there is a story of birth and death. As long as they live, these goldfish will continue to soil the fish tank, and if not changed, the water will only get tainted leading to death for all the goldfish. This is quite true for the human species as well… The goldfish that I paint are not really goldfish, but representations of people. I feel as though the fish tank is only foretelling what would happen to the earth in the future. We as human beings are the main source polluting our own air we breathe.”

Riusuke Fukahori’s “Goldfish Salvation” will be on view at Joshua Liner Gallery in New York from November 19th through December 19th, 2015.