Untitled

Kentaro Hirano

Watercolor painting 　2023

55 x 74 cm / framed 76 x 95 cm

Watercolors on paper

Message from the Artist

The first brushstroke is made while simultaneously feeling the urge to paint and the image that triggered it. The touch and color of the first brushstroke lead to the next brushstroke, which leads to the next, which leads to the next brushstroke. In this way, I move the brush back and forth between feelings and images, continuing to paint until the impulse subsides, and then, suddenly, the end arrives. This is one of the works created in that way.

About the Artist

1972 Born in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture
2003 Graduated from Musashino Art University, Department of Japanese Painting

Solo and group exhibitions in Japan and abroad. At the Seattle Art Fair 2023, his Japanese paintings exhibited with the gallery YUKI-SIS (Kayabacho, Tokyo) booth were selected as one of the ten works to see at the fair and received high acclaim.

The works introduced on this website are watercolor paintings by the artist. The airiness and transparency on the canvas are beautiful. As a traditional Japanese-style painter, he usually creates his work using Japanese painting materials such as mineral pigments with a unique technique similar to what is called "Togidashi" (polishing) or "Kakidashi" (grinding). He paints by creating layers of paint with different colors and then dissolving them with water to reveal the underlying color. When viewed up close, the unevenness of the surface can be seen as relief. This watercolor piece stands out for its layers of colors that overlap with the grinding out technique.