In the spirit of magical realism, Minami Kobayashi’s figurative paintings depict ordinary people, animals and settings that seem ever so slightly off-kilter. The artist applies thin coats of fast-drying egg tempera paint to create jewel-like facets of color that seemingly emerge from the composition’s surface—evoking distant memories and half-remembered dreams. Combining intimacy with mystery, Kobayashi’s work explores her subjects’ interior life and their tender feelings toward the minutiae of daily life.