Shinme is a series of equine works that draws on the ancient Japanese tradition of the sacred horse—shinme—offered to Shinto shrines as a vessel for the divine. In these paintings, Christian Hook reinterprets this symbolism through a contemporary lens, exploring the intersection of ritual, movement, and spiritual presence.
Layered both materially and conceptually, the works combine Japanese papers, calligraphic ink, and collage with oil and gold leaf. Horses emerge through translucent surfaces and gestural marks, appearing and dissolving within the same composition—capturing a sense of energy that is at once physical and intangible.
Balancing cultural reference with a distinctly modern visual language, Shinme continues Hook’s exploration of time, transformation, and the space between states. The series offers a meditative reflection on the horse not only as subject, but as a symbolic conduit between the earthly and the unseen.
2022–2023 · 10 works
El Caballo Sagrado Shinto Shinme I · Mixed media collage on paper
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