Rei Kamoi (1928–1985) was a Western-style painter born in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture. He repeatedly depicted self-portraits, elderly people, clowns and drunken revellers, confronting human loneliness, frailty, ageing and the weight of existence. His canvases, in which figures emerge from a dark colour palette, harbour a powerful tension distinct from that of glamorous portraits.

Standing before his works, one seems to sense not so much the outward appearance of the figures as the fatigue and anxiety lurking deep within their hearts. His self-portraits, in particular, possess a rigour that refuses to avert one’s gaze from the self. What leaves a lasting impression is the profound empathy for humanity that lingers beneath the darkness.