1965, Japan

Visual artist living and working in Cumbria, UK

I'm always hurling a question to myself, "What is art after all?" Surrounded by hyper-excessive visual media, almost being paralyzed by mediacracy and information manipulation, what does painting mean to me compared with other numerous artistic expressions, especially living in the epoch of post-Marcel Duchamp, who revolutionarily wiped out the meaning of art, or else seemed to declare "Art is dead" in presenting a "ready-made" toilet as a work of art? I admit, of course, and enjoy its profound argument totally, though... How can I challenge this intricate contemporary society by means of visual art, if at all? I do believe that art still has the power to convey some elements of core meaning to humanity with its own language.

I'm also curious about how art, particularly painting, has been related to the human race, since humanity gained painting before any letters had been invented in prehistory. That's why I use a primitive yet core creative expression unique to humanity, namely drawing and painting which, I believe, has served as a fundamental means of human communication for shamanic communities in the prehistoric era, to create letters (some might argue that there're still numerous tribes without letters in the globe and once were significant civilizations such as the Inca Empire), and to form civilizations. They also served to educate illiterate peoples, cultivate and develop cultures, inspire human minds throughout history.

Furthermore, I'm greatly intrigued by the latest scientific studies, particularly in neuroscience, which is reforming our understanding about humanity drastically day by day. When reading about neurology, I was stunned by the fact that human visual brain perceives objects by the oriented lines predominantly, which drew me to create some new method of brush hatching technique using Japanese sumi ink and acrylic, which is also inspired by classic method of "disegno", based on drawing, established in Florentine school in early Renaissance era. This evidence of human visual brain might suggest that how core human communication tool shifted from drawing and painting to inventing letters in prehistory. As far as the endevour of the studies among neuroscience is concerned, it almost seems to serve robot scientists to create some perfect humanoid in near future, which is completely opposite direction of what I'm aiming for in my artistic practice, though... I believe that life is far more complex, delicate and fragile in our intricate organic world than what is seen in mathematical algorithms.

My aim is, however, to create something simple yet thought-provoking, portraying someone iconic, somewhere universal, precious moments, eternal fragments and a light in the darkness. Entwining memory and reality, conception and word, I try to create textures of the ever-changing present moment, embodying semiotic images of our time. I hope my work raises questions regarding the dignity and quality of life in understanding religious and ethical dilemmas, robot science and medical science across other scientific fields, what the potential might be of painting and drawing among numerous artistic expressions, and how to bridge East and West with my limited understandings by means of painting and drawing. … Read More