Even E.T. scared me

Ymane Chabi-Gara's exhibition "Even E.T. scared me" explores themes of confinement and anxiety through her paintings. Initially, her work focused on the isolation of 'hikikomori,' young Japanese individuals withdrawn from society, grappling with social anxiety and fear of failure. Her practice later evolved to include lighter landscapes and a new technique using wash drawing with Sellotape, before returning to darker themes reflecting the contemporary world.

This exhibition delves into the confinement of the family circle. Works like "Coaches Room" and "Brian’s Room" depict spaces associated with trauma, using subtle visual cues and the absence of faces to convey unsettling narratives. The series "One Day Paintings" serves as sketchbooks, experimenting with details that are later integrated into her larger-scale works, demonstrating a continuous dialogue between her intimate studies and her more public artistic statements.