KAZUYUKI FUTAGAWA

Kazuyuki Futagawa was born in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. During his high school years, he developed a strong desire to pursue a career in painting. Therefore, upon completing high school, he enrolled at Kanazawa College of Art, where he studied nihonga (traditional Japanese painting). Following this, he continued his studies at the Tokyo University of the Arts, where he delved deeper into the art of nihonga, which emphasizes painting natural landscapes, animals, and plants. During his time at the university, he was exposed to the works of celebrated Japanese painting masters like Kawai Gyokudō (1873-1957), who greatly inspired him to explore the connection between humankind and the natural world in his artistic expression.

While inheriting Japanese painting techniques, he uses mineral pigments to paint carefully. He believes that only the use of mineral pigments can truly present the beauty of nature. In recent years, new elements have appeared in Futagawa's paintings. Silhouettes of human figures integrate into his landscape picture as if they are visitors to the natural scenery. They are surrounded by blossoms and greenery and got lost in the wildwood. It is the vastness of nature that reflects the frailty of human beings. Human beings should stay awed and humble towards nature. Futagawa published a series of works centered upon such motifs while he traveled to the prefectures within Japan to further research their history through historical site visits, and painted the scenery that captures his experience. His painting resembles a double exposure in film photography. It records this ever-changing scenery while depicting one’s inner peace. Futagawa's works present a sense of surrealism that exceeds traditional Japanese paintings. He has constructed a new form of realistic painting. The artist wishes one could appreciate the magnificent landscapes in Japan and the beauty of mineral pigment.