Contemporary pop artist Vincent De Pio mounts his first international solo exhibition entitled “The Courtesan and the Warrior”. After exhibits in Art Kaohsiung (Taiwan, 2016), Art Stage Jakarta (Indonesia, 2016), and Animamix Biennale (Indonesia, 2017), Vincent continues his streak of success in this year’s Art Formosa in Taipei.

Vincent De Pio paints on folded paper or ‘origami’ with his signature expressive and pop culture flair; situating the timeless Japanese icons of geisha, samurai, and sumo wrestlers in contemporary settings, lending humor and dynamism to traditional Japanese imagery. With multiple layers of visual references interrupted by the two-dimensional shape of the origami silhouette, the artworks in “The Courtesan and the Warrior” play with our preconceived and often disparate ideas of pop art and Japanese iconography.

Vincent combines past with present to allude to ancient traditions grappling with modern industry – a delicate balancing act performed by many cultures worldwide. He embraces the diversity of cultures finally emerging as a unified ideal in this contemporary society. His works celebrate the growth of international connections, punctuated with distinct historical references, and refreshed by his signature expressionist style.

新興普普藝術家文森・皮歐（Vincent de Pio）推出他的首場國際個展《情婦與武士》。在參與了高雄藝術博覽會（台灣、2016）、加爾各答 Art Stage（印尼、2016）、及 Animamix 雙年展（印尼、2017）後，文森將於今年台北的福爾摩沙藝術博覽會延續之前成功的經驗。他在畫布、和服、以及日式摺紙上作畫，招牌風格為富含表現主義的瑰麗流行文化，將經典的日本文化意象如藝伎、武士、及相撲選手置於當代環境中，使用幽默又充滿活力的手法表現普世價值的拉鋸。文森高明的結合了過去與現在，描繪出古老傳統在當代工業社會中的困境—一如我們在世界上許多文化中所看到的微妙平衡一樣。