Almighty painter

Chapter 640 Finalists (Part )

"Tighten your core, tighten your core, come on! Keep your toes tight and your arms like you're swinging a sword backwards."

"Breathe in as you retract your body, and exhale as you exert force! After you do this, we'll go to the movies together later."

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5... hold on, hold on, one tenth, you're the best, in groups of twelve. There are only six left, don't stop!"

In the basement gym of Katsuko's home in Osaka.

Kazunari Sakai is taking a drill class.

The blonde aunt was waving a towel nearby.

The expression on her face switches seamlessly between that of a gentle wife encouraging her husband to exercise more and that of a ruthless rancher who whips and drives the fat free-range Wagyu cattle that are lazy and unwilling to move on the ground in order to prevent the quality of the steak from deteriorating and the pattern from being ugly, and she shouts loudly to direct the work.

Kazunari Sakai was lying pitifully on the fitness slide at the feet of Mrs. Sakai, struggling and twisting.

After Uncle Sakai successfully graduated from the closed weight loss camp, his fitness coach tailored a series of follow-up life-based fat-loss training courses for him and asked his family to strengthen daily supervision and urge him.

This is why the blonde aunt asked her husband to check in on his diet every day.

The coach said.

For an "oversized" weight loss athlete like Kazunari Sakai, it is not suitable for rough and direct high-intensity running and jumping exercises.

Excessive pressure on the heart can also easily damage the knees.

Try to focus on slow, static, flexible core strength training, and combine it with 30 to 40 minutes of aerobic exercise every day.

Mrs. Sakai has the habit of doing aerobics every day.

The home is fully equipped with facilities.

She would fly back to Japan on weekends from time to time to spend some time alone with Kazunari Sakai and to review her husband's weight loss results.

Just like now——

It was obvious that when his wife was not at home, Uncle Sakai was lazy and did not exercise seriously.

Now he has been caught red-handed.

The movement he is doing now is called "Superman". He lies on the core bed, uses his abdomen to lift his body, tightens his waist and neck, and brings his body into a straight line. He holds the elastic rope in front of him with both hands, swings it backwards like a sword, and finally gathers it behind his back.

Experienced fitness athletes, such as Mrs. Sakai, use their core strength to stretch their bodies like a taut bow when doing this exercise. Not only can the lumbar and cervical vertebrae be exercised, but the posture is also very graceful, just like a superman floating in the air, flying freely through the air.

Uncle Sakai is obviously not doing well.

He was like a fat seal with ice stuck in its belly, unable to move up or down. He twisted and arched on the core bed, his hands and legs flailing around.

"I'm dying, I'm dying... I'm really going to die." Kazunari Sakai was gasping for breath and groaning, and it looked like he was about to spit bubbles from practicing.

Hear his complaints.

The aerobics instructor who was there to give instructions was obviously a little hesitant. He looked at Kazunari Sakai and then turned his gaze to Mrs. Sakai who was accompanying her in training.

An important client like Kazunari Sakai.

If anyone showed any signs of discomfort, she would let them rest.

Whether the discomfort was real or fake, she didn't dare to take the risk.

So I took the course, but the whole time I was practicing it, I was working hard for three days and then resting my nets for two days.

"Don't worry, keep training. I'm watching you. Your heart rate is less than 140, and you can still speak loudly. This means that the training intensity has not even reached the lactate threshold range."

But who is Mrs. Sakai?
She wouldn't fall for this pathetic trick.

As soon as Kazunari Sakai patted his belly, the blonde aunt knew what kind of shit her husband was going to poop.

There is no way to be lazy.

"Hold on, you'll be fine after this. I believe my Byron can do it." She squatted down and wiped the sweat off her husband's face. Her tone and actions were so gentle, but her expression was clearly cold and ruthless, and she did not allow for negotiation.

Uncle Sakai's face suddenly turned bitter.

His little eyes flickered to the side and he glanced at his wife secretly, knowing that he would not be able to escape no matter what he said today.

I had no choice but to take a deep breath and struggle to lie on the core bed and continue to struggle.

Practice and practice.

The phone on the table beside me vibrated and the screen suddenly lit up.

Mrs. Sakai looked at the phone number above, hesitated for a moment, and picked up the phone.

"Hello."

"Excuse me, is this Mr. Kazunari Sakai?" A man's voice came from the phone.

"He's a little busy right now. I'm his wife. May I ask if you have anything important to say?"

"Hello, Mrs. Sakai. I'm Mika Tonks, the international curator of the 2023 Singapore Biennale. It's nothing important. If you're busy, I can come in a while..."

"no, I'm fine."

Mrs. Sakai's expression changed subtly in an instant, "Please wait a moment, I will call him for you now."

She covered the receiver of the phone and looked at the gymnastics coach beside her.

"Excuse me, I need to stop for a moment. I need to have a private conversation with my husband."

The personal trainer was very sensible. She bowed slightly and then walked out.

"It's a call from the Singapore Biennale. The person on the other end is this year's curator, Tonks." After the basement door was closed again, she spoke softly to her husband.

As early as the moment the phone rang.

Kazunari Sakai had already seized this opportunity. He rolled over swiftly, jumped off the core bed, and lay dead on the mat with his arms and legs spread out.

I heard what my wife said.

Although he was still breathing heavily, he kept drinking from the straw of the water bag containing electrolyte drink next to him.

His big eyelids blinked twice immediately.

"Well, well...it looks like, Sheng, Shengzi's...art exhibition this year is a sure win." Uncle Sakai glanced at his wife and stuck out his tongue to regulate his breath.

Mrs. Sakai nodded.

She gave her husband a look that said "it depends on how you perform" and handed the phone to him.

"Hello, Mr. Tonks."

Kazunari Sakai's belly heaved and he tried to calm his breathing before turning on the speakerphone and speaking in a steady voice.

"I've heard of you for a long time. I went to see the special art exhibition you held at the Taylor Art Museum in 16. It was very impressive. I especially loved the special exhibition area of ​​'Shadow of the World Tree'. I really like your curatorial concept of 'replacing form with attitude'. Unfortunately, we missed each other that day and never had the chance to meet."

"Mr. Sakai, you are being too modest. I am the one who has heard of you for a long time. In the industry, curators chase after artists, no matter how good they are. I am just a vessel that carries the artists' thoughts."

In the office, Tonks' tone was meaty, and she showed her standard business smile with eight teeth.

There was no way I could tell that this was the same person as the big talker who was spitting all over the place in front of the projection screen just now.

His tone suddenly changed.

"But this regret can be made up. A few months ago, the organizing committee sent an invitation letter to Mr. Sakai to serve as a judge, but was rejected. At that time, I thought that Mr. Sakai was very busy and would not look down on a small art exhibition like the Singapore Biennale. Unexpectedly, you prepared a big surprise for me." Tonks said with a smile: "I think we will have plenty of opportunities to meet in August this year."

August.

Of course, I am talking about the Singapore Biennale.

The reason why Kazunari Sakai went to the Singapore Biennale must be to see his daughter at the exhibition. The meaning of Tonks' words was self-evident.

There was no particular change in the expressions of Kazunari Sakai and Mrs. Sakai.

The moment Tonks's phone number appeared on the screen, it was already a foregone conclusion that Katsuko would be selected.

It's impossible that the curator called me specifically to say, "Sakai Kazunari, huh? I've heard a lot about you. I know you're awesome, but I still rejected your daughter's manuscript. Are you shocked? I'm even more awesome! Praise me now."

There is indeed no shortage of crazy people with abnormal thinking in the art industry.

But don't be so stupid.

Totally stupid, isn't it?

The Sakai couple looked at each other.

Being mentally prepared is one thing;

I am still very happy when I should be happy.

Katsuko certainly has no shortage of ordinary art resources, but at the level of the Singapore Biennale, which is an international exhibition not held in Japan, it is not an ordinary resource that is readily available.

If her level is really too poor.

Even if Kazunari Sakai forced it into her, it would still cause a lot of criticism.

They were originally planning to wait until the next Yokohama Triennale to introduce Katsuko.

Who would have thought that in just half a year, my daughter's painting skills would be transformed again.

Eighteen years old, Singapore Biennale, audition breakthrough.

All these names added together, regardless of whether this breakthrough in the audition was due to her last name "Sakai" or not, are results with unlimited prospects.

My daughter is great!
The blonde aunt narrowed her eyes in a smile.

Kazunari Sakai had the urge to hum with pride, but he suppressed it and replied calmly, "Thank you very much. I just hope that letting her be shortlisted didn't make things difficult for you."

"Don't get me wrong, her inclusion in the list has nothing to do with her being your daughter. Her work really impressed me. It is warm, elegant, peaceful, and full of the flavor of life. It is the work I most look forward to in the entire audition. It is unfair to me that such a work cannot be included in the list."

"Many judges and audiences will have the same idea when they see the painting. I think that just being shortlisted is not the end of Ms. Sakai's exhibition."

Tonks gave a half-hearted compliment.

"I noticed her name when I was sorting out the list of shortlisted painters. I checked and found out that she was your daughter. The Internet said that she was only eighteen years old this year. I was so curious about how to educate such an outstanding daughter that I took the liberty of calling you to personally inform you of her selection."

"No, she is still too young, and many things are immature. I don't even know if it is a good thing for her to appear in the spotlight of an international art exhibition too early." Kazunari Sakai said modestly, "It's just that she really wants to participate in this year's Lion City Art Exhibition, and we can't stop her. It is a great honor for Shengzi to meet a curator like you who has a keen eye for talent. No matter what the result is, this opportunity is enough for her to remember for the rest of her life."

Neither side mentioned things like booths or stands.

It seemed like this was really just an ordinary call from the organizing committee informing Katsuko Sakai that she was shortlisted.

When the CDX art director communicated with Tonks, he could openly ask for special treatment. For galleries, art exhibitions and the like are highly commercialized things.

Everything is a semi-public exchange of interests.

At some exhibitions and almost all art fairs, the best booths are even all open to galleries for auction.

But when it comes to the way artists and curators interact with each other, it becomes relatively subtle.

After all, they are all cultured people.

If Tonks brought up these things, it would seem like she was asking for credit or reward, and if Sakai Kazunari started asking for this and that, it would seem like he was being too demanding.

Not good looking.

It would be really bad if this phone call got out from somewhere.

Art festivals are like the imperial examinations in the Tang Dynasty; since the examinees are anonymous, some insider personal connections are very difficult to prevent.

This has been the case since ancient times. Wang Wei became the top scholar by virtue of Princess Yuzhen's connections. Watteau and Boucher also became famous in the official social circles of Paris and made a splash at art exhibitions by virtue of Madame Pompadour's connections.

But this kind of thing, if it is too straightforward and naked, it will also look ugly.

to be honest.

CDX Gallery has a special booth which is unfair to ordinary painters.

Katsuko Sakai's father is Kazunari Sakai, which is also very unfair to ordinary painters.

This is the dark side of art.

And the dark side is always the dark side.

It will not change in moral tone just because Shengzi is Gu Weijing's girlfriend, or because Sakai Kazunari did not directly ask for any special treatment.

No one said it clearly.

Both parties knew very well that since the call had been made, the booth assigned to Katsuko Sakai must be of good quality.

Even if he is not the most core one, he is still the best one among the auditioned painters.

it is more than words.

Mrs. Sakai poked her husband's belly and lip-synced quietly.

Kazunari Sakai shook his big belly to show that he understood.

"Well, I'm wondering if I can put something aside so I'd like to ask... Mr. Tonks, I have a junior who has also passed the second round of auditions. He's a young kid with a lot of ideas, but he has the same problem as Shengzi, he's too immature. He's too young and has too many ideas. I'm worried that he can't control his own painting style. It doesn't matter whether he can make the cut or not. But this is a rare opportunity, could you, a senior in the art world, give him some advice on his next creation?"

Tonks smiled.

Kazunari Sakai was being polite, but he certainly wasn't really criticizing anyone.

"What is your name?"

Tonks asked.

I'm not afraid of speaking implicitly, I'm just afraid of not having any requirements.

Since Kazunari Sakai specifically asked for this, even if the other party was a contestant who had already been eliminated, as long as the picture was not so messed up that it could not float on the wall, he would be willing to take advantage of it and give him a shortlisted spot.

"Gu Weijing, the title of the work should be "Under the Sunshine—"

"'Good Luck Orphanage in the Sunlight'? That work that combines oil painting and Chinese traditional painting techniques is also from your junior generation?"

Who knows.

Without waiting for Kazunari Sakai to finish.

Tonks immediately responded in surprise.

"Yes, he is my daughter's boyfriend." Sakai Kazunari's tone was a little shy, "Do you have any impression of him?"

"I have an impression, of course, haha——"

Tonks pouted.

He just said it.

There aren’t so many dark horses suddenly emerging from this year’s Biennale. It turns out that radish leaves have roots underneath!

Some people look like a drifting weed.

Pull and pull.

If you are not careful, you might pull out a big fat guy weighing more than 200 pounds.

(End of this chapter)