Hiroyuki Matsuura

Hiroyuki Matsuura, born in Tokyo in 1964, is an artist. After working as a graphic designer, he began creating contemporary art in 1999 with the theme of "Japanese character culture." Since then, he has expanded the formats of his works to include paintings, sculptures, and prints, while broadening his activities not only within Japan but also across Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

Matsuura's works feature a diverse array of characters that appear one after another. These characters are depicted in dynamic, bold compositions reminiscent of ukiyo-e, while also incorporating the decorative styles of Japanese painting seen in the Rinpa school. Additionally, he is one of the artists who have inherited the "Superflat" concept proposed by Takashi Murakami.

Japanese "manga" has now become a culture that symbolizes the times and a form of expression recognized worldwide. When viewed from the perspective of art's long history, this uniquely Japanese expression is evolving into an original cultural form that stands in contrast to the predominantly Western-centric aesthetics. Over time, it holds the potential to become firmly established as a globally recognized form of artistic expression.

 

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Born in Tokyo in 1964, he received the Scout Award at Takashi Murakami's "Art Dojo GP at MOT" in 2001. In 2017, his 4-meter-tall masterpiece Uki-uki (2012) was exhibited at the Cool Japan: Worldwide Fascination in Focus exhibition held at the Volkenkunde Museum (Leiden) and Tropen Museum (Amsterdam) in the Netherlands, attracting significant attention.