Maria Taniguchi emphasises the gradual and labour-intensive process involved in creating her large ‘brick’ paintings, first drawing out a grid on the canvas and then painting in one brick at a time. Despite their predetermined composition, the surfaces of these paintings are neither uniform nor static. Taniguchi achieves gradations of shade by varying the amount of water and acrylic, which is discernible as the viewer moves in front of the work. Untitled evokes the urban environment through its resemblance to the generic brick wall pattern – known in masonry terms as the ‘stretcher’ or ‘running’ bond – that forms a building’s facade.