# Psychologically Charged Grayscale Paintings Tomoo Gokita's Exhibit at Blum & Poe is Expressive By Kalin Ned | Published 2018-09-18 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/grayscale-painting References: [hypebeast](https://hypebeast.com/2018/9/tomoo-gokita-blum-poe) & [blumandpoe](https://www.blumandpoe.com/exhibitions/tomoo-gokita) A collection of emotive grayscale paintings are on display at the [Blum & Poe Gallery in Los Angeles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ralph-pucci-pure-exhibition), California. Post-conceptual artist Tomoo Gokita debuts his latest work which consists of a series of square canvases that take cues from abstract movements and induce a hauntingly mysterious feeling in the observer. The grayscale paintings are injected with some degree of anonymity as the faces depicted in them are incredibly destorted. It is perhaps this approach that allows the works to exude "psychologically charged emotions." The [Japanese painter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/japonisme-1) relies on the expressive qualities of the face, as well as the relations between the painted entities on the canvas. This approach spikes the audience's interest and causes viewers to speculate about the context and the themes depicted in the grayscale paintings. Photo Credits: Heather Rasmussen ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.7/10 - Popularity: 44% | Activity: 29% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Grayscale Paintings:** Opportunity for artists to explore the emotive power of grayscale and create psychologically charged experiences for viewers. - **Abstract Movements:** Chance for artists to draw inspiration from abstract movements and incorporate them into their own unique styles. - **Expressive Qualities of the Face:** Potential to delve deeper into the power of facial expressions and how they can evoke psychological responses in the audience. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Art:** Opportunity for galleries and artists to showcase and sell psychologically charged grayscale paintings, attracting art enthusiasts. - **Interior Design:** Potential to incorporate grayscale paintings in interior spaces, creating visually compelling and emotionally engaging environments. - **Psychology:** Opportunity for psychologists to study the impact of grayscale paintings on human emotions and the connection between art and psychology. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Bi-Culture-Inspired Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bicultureinspired-art-exhibition.md) - [Otherwordly Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/william-monk.md) - [Collaborative Monochromatic Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/collaborative-monochromatic-art-exhibition.md) - [Abstract Geometric Solo Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/impermanent-state-of-being.md) - [African Identity-Inspired Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/african-identity.md) - [Blurry Abstract Photography Exhibits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/optical-allusion.md) - [Raw Sports Emotion Artwork](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/game-exhibition.md) - [Drone-Assisted Landscape Artwork](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/katsu-1.md) - [Dark Abstracted Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-minyades-exhibition.md)