Gestural strokes and spontaneous marks collide with color blocks in Robert Koch’s narrative vignettes. In fact, after a trip to Japan when he was 20, the colors, light, and natural designs embedded in the Japanese culture left a lasting impression on him. In his paintings, he strives to convey the unfiltered purity of the mystery and magic in everyday life. Focusing on the incorporation of anonymous people, some are perplexed, while others are disturbed, proud, or completely innocent of the chaos around them. To Koch, a successful painting is one that not only has a strong composition filled with colors and forms, but also one that has a unique story to tell. If his paintings make him smile or laugh, then he knows that he is finished and has done what he’s set out to do.