From The Stories Issue
Sho Shibuya called me at the start of June to set a date. Monday, June 22, 2026. His rule doesn’t change: paint what’s in front of him, on a support dated the same day. In Paris, it’s no longer the New York Times he paints — it’s Le Monde.
The temperature has been climbing for weeks. Meteorologists are already calling it the hottest summer ever recorded in France. The sky Sho Shibuya paints that day doesn’t illustrate the heatwave: it’s a reading of it.
His colors are saturated, almost airless. Even past 9pm, blue brings no coolness.
“My work focuses on capturing everyday moments on conventional media. Facing today’s newspaper, I feel the present.”
Sho Shibuya has exhibited at, among others, Unit London, the Tokyo National Museum, the Milan Triennale and Art Basel Miami (Saint Laurent collaboration, 2022). His works are held in the permanent collections of the Fondation Cartier (Paris), the 9/11 Memorial & Museum (New York) and the DIB Bangkok Museum.
Painting series © Sho Shibuya
