“The Fifth Dimension” series is the latest result of Hanafusa’s continuous exploration of the materialities of the medium and the transcendental qualities that they possess. Expanding beyond the three-dimensionality of space and time as the fourth dimension, Hanafusa probes into the mysterious, ineffable territory which he calls the fifth dimension, a deeply personal concept that allows the artist to view his work with fresh perspectives. An exquisite example of the enigmatic series and a centerpiece of the exhibition, Byōbu II combines the traditional Japanese art of gilded screens with a post-minimalist interest in the idea of process. The three vertical shapes in dark grays, which are made of chemically treated aluminum paints, call to mind the shadow of a figure. When folded, the chemicals slowly oxidize the silver leaves on the adjacent panel, changing their complexions, and in doing so, create an indexical print of the former. These undefined shapes bear witness to the passage of time and the process of becoming. The answer to the inexplicable question of what exactly it becomes is precisely what underpins Hanafusa’s representation of the fifth dimension—a mysterious, ineffable dimension that powers his art.