Aethan Wills’s practice is rooted in Japanese aesthetics and ideals. Fragmented impressions of temples and tea gardens emerge in an in-between space, hovering between figuration and abstraction. Filtered through the traditional Japanese shōji screens—reimagined by the artist as delicate grids—these elusive landscapes trace the passing of the seasons. Branches and blossoms dissolve into gestural marks, rendered on small-scale wooden panels or monumental canvases. Born in Kyoto, Wills often revisits memories and sensory impressions shaped by his Japanese heritage. Whereas Western notions of beauty frequently follow short-lived trends, Japanese aesthetics draw on enduring principles that guide one’s approach to both life and art. Wills embraces concepts such as spontaneity, simplicity, and the beauty of imperfection, resulting in layered paintings that suggest something always slightly obscured—veiled in shadow, withheld, or just beyond reach.

Wills's work is held in international private collections. He has exhibited at Camden Arts Centre, London; Canopy Collections, London; Flowers Gallery, London; Royal Danish Academy, Copenhagen; Royal Academy of Arts, London; Vitrine Gallery, London; 66 Space, Kyoto; Hal Projects Gallery, Seoul; Spurs Gallery, Beijing.