Impressionist paintings that fill the world with beautiful colors

A landscape painting depicting natural features such as Mt. Fuji, forest roads, and waves splashing on rough shorelines, with free use of color that breaks the conventions of painting. A portrait of a nostalgic girl and animals gazing intently at the viewer. Taiko Matsuo is an artist known for his colorful and compassionate style.

This exhibition will feature approximately 20 acrylic gouache and giclee works that "fill the world with love through layers of beautiful colors." The theme is hope, "We are all beings who are watched over, and we are not alone."

Taiko Matsuo is originally from Hiroshima Prefecture. He has been working as an illustrator since 1998, and has illustrated over 300 books, including "Climber's High" (by Hideo Yokoyama, Bunshun Bunko) and the "Reading Japanese Classics" series (Shogakukan). He has also published many books about shrines, including co-authored works with novelists Kaori Ekuni and Mitsuyo Kakuta. In addition to his work as an illustrator, he also holds many solo exhibitions. Ten years ago, he set up a studio in Fukui Prefecture and began working on Echizen ware ceramic art.

A pop screen with a unique intensity

Matsuo's work is characterized by the brilliance of clear colors. The brightness of the entire screen fully expresses the brilliance of nature, humans, and animals, and the irregularly mottled colored surfaces are highly independent, making the screen more structured and pop, yet with a unique strength.

"I like things like waves and spray, whose shapes keep changing, and things that look different depending on the weather and the angle of view that day. I paint these scenes by imagining what colors they would look like."

In the work "Today is a gift," which depicts a fountain in a pop style, and "We start to dance," which uses the mountain motif that Matsuo often paints, the momentary sparkle that is caught by the eye - the spray of water or the expression of the mountain surface - is divided and composed with clear colors, which gives the painting itself a rhythm. It is noteworthy that he manages to combine the joy of living, which is to capture a scene with his eyes, with the unshakable solidity of nature.

Matsuo's use of color, which captures the brilliance of nature, is nothing less than an expression of the artist's own inner consciousness. Matsuo says that he writes down what he sees and feels when he sees a landscape, and when he approaches the canvas, he associates colors with his own words, expanding his view of the world.

"When a warm breeze is blowing, it's 'round,' or when you pass through a torii gate and feel the 'majesty' of the cool, clear air, I write down what I feel at the time, and often the words I use to come up with colors and shapes."

A gaze that cherishes what cannot be seen

13 years ago, I visited the 125 shrines of Ise Grand Shrine for a book project, and felt that "we are watched over by something invisible, and all living things are connected." I found hope in life here, and made it the core of my expression.

The concept of "Yugen" (subconsciousness) is also in the name of our gallery. The idea of something invisible, an aesthetic sense that arises from the unconscious, is deeply rooted in Japanese culture, and Kamo no Chomei wrote, "The lingering emotions that cannot be expressed in words, the excitement that cannot be seen in appearance" (Mumyosho).

"When I draw animals, I don't just draw their appearances, but what I sense from their cries and movements that I hear at the time becomes what I draw. In the case of birds, I want to express in my paintings the rhythmic feel of their chirps and other sounds (of animals and plants)."

The facial expressions of people and animals that Matsuo draws are also distinctive. No joy, anger, sadness or happiness can be read from their eyes, which are painted in solid black. The expressionlessness of the girl and Maltese in "Don't worry, be happy" changes depending on the time, place and person. What is shown here is a gaze that tries to see what cannot be seen, a gaze that simply accepts all existence.

The expressions of the trees, the light of the morning and evening, and the human heart all change with time, and Matsuo accepts them as they are. One could say that the essence of Matsuo's creation lies in the "transition" found in Japanese culture.

The scenes of Matsuo Taiko are painted in otherworldly colors. The colors are filled with emotion, and the 31 characters are filled with the same emotion as a waka poem, expressing feelings that cannot be expressed in words.