B eguiling, suspenseful and simmering with palpable tension, Truth (2006) by Makoto Saito is emblematic of the internationally acclaimed painter and graphic designer’s oeuvre that combines computer technology with more traditional painting techniques. Saito is known for his use of the computer to interrogate the notion of “seeing”, achieving meticulously hand-painted images that appear far removed from a computer-generated image. Indeed, through his paintings, Saito intends to “make what is most remote from a computer with the use of computer” (the artist quoted in “Makoto Saito Face to Face/Composition”, Kasmin, 2012, online). Further, Truth masterfully recalls the aesthetics of cinema, capturing a climactic moment between the two anonymous protagonists. Indeed, movies are a subject that the artist often returns to in his work. As a young boy Saito was taken to watch French films with subtitles he did not understand and imagined his own stories; as an artist, he draws upon scenes from classic films from his memory. Layered and blurred, the work radiates a mysterious illusory aura, reinforcing the already enigmatic subject matter.
Truth was executed in 2006, the same year in which the artist confirmed a major solo exhibition at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa titled Makoto Saito: Scene [0], which was held in 2008. Since then, the artist has been honoured with numerous solo exhibitions, including Like Nectar Attracting Bees (2011) and Fascinated Times (2014) at the Tomio Koyama Gallery, Tokyo; Face to Face/Composition (2012) at Kasmin Gallery, New York; Criticality (2019) at Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art, Fukuoka; and recently, Visible, Invisible. Face Landscape (2021) at Tokyo’s Taka Ishii Gallery.

齊
藤誠是國際知名畫家及平面設計師,他喜歡以電腦科技配合傳統繪畫技法進行創作,2006年的《真相》正是這種標誌性手法的代表作,畫面籠罩著神秘莫測的懸疑色彩,緊張的氣氛濃稠得化不開來。齊藤擅長借助電腦程式對「觀看」的定義提出詰問,這種新舊融合的創作方式所催生出的手繪作品細緻縝密,與一般由電腦生成的圖像大相徑庭。而齊藤確實是希望憑藉繪畫,「用電腦創造出最不像電腦產物的作品」(引述自〈齊藤誠:「面對面/構圖」〉,卡斯敏畫廊,2012年,網上版)。再者,《真相》一作會令人不期然地聯想起電影的美學,畫中兩個無名氏的故事彷彿就在鏡頭定格的一刻進入高潮。齊藤的作品經常反映出藝術家對電影的熱愛。他小時候跟隨大人去觀看法國電影,電影裡的人說著陌生的語言,小齊藤不明白字幕的意思,於是想像出各種故事。長大成為藝術家後,回憶裡的銀幕經典變成了他尋找靈感的數據庫。本作的層次錯綜複雜,人物的輪廓模糊失焦,散發出一股變幻詭譎的氛圍,令原本說不清、道不明的謎樣主題更加難以捉摸。
《真相》創作於2006年,同年,日本金澤的21世紀美術館決定為齊藤籌備首場大型個展,展覽名為「齊藤誠:SCENE [0]」,並於2008年舉行。此後,不少藝術機構陸陸續續為齊藤舉辦個展,包括東京小山登美夫畫廊2011及2014年的「就如蜂蜜呼喚蜜蜂」和「美好時代」,紐約卡斯敏畫廊2012年的「面對面/構圖」,福岡北九州市立美術館2019年的「臨界—Criticality—」,以及東京 Taka Ishii Gallery 2021年的「可見之物,不可見之物。Face Landscape」。