Tranquility of what is more grievous than tragedy

Tranquility of What is More Grievous than Tragedy is a monumental painting that explores the human condition through distorted figures and dramatic color. Created at the end of Ay-O’s university years in Tokyo, in the context of postwar trauma and recovery, it reflects a myriad of art historical influences, including Japanese Buddhist paintings, Cubist and Expressionist figures, and Mexican social-realist murals. The painting’s orientation heightens the tension in the composition. Bodily silhouettes in indigo and navy, like paper cut-outs or shadows, haunt the composition atop a dark red ground. Along the vertical axis, pale, emaciated bodies in various states of ecstasy, distress, and pain suggest simultaneous euphoria and despair under extreme circumstances. Its unusual scale and intensity make this work a key piece in Ay-O’s early career, forecasting his later explorations of the evocative qualities of figurative forms and rainbow color spectrums.