Famous Japanese Artists. Contemporary Art: Japan

If you think that all great artists are in the past, then you have no idea how wrong you are. In this article, you will learn about the most famous and talented artists modernity. And, believe me, their works will sit in your memory no less deeply than the works of the maestro from past eras.

Wojciech Babski

Wojciech Babski is a contemporary Polish artist. He graduated from the Silesian Polytechnic Institute, but connected himself with. AT recent times draws mostly women. Focuses on the manifestation of emotions, seeks to obtain the greatest possible effect by simple means.

Loves color but often uses shades of black and gray to achieve best experience. Not afraid to experiment with new techniques. Recently, he has been gaining more and more popularity abroad, mainly in the UK, where he successfully sells his works, which can already be found in many private collections. In addition to art, he is interested in cosmology and philosophy. Listens to jazz. Currently lives and works in Katowice.

Warren Chang

Warren Chang - modern American artist. Born in 1957 and raised in Monterey, California, he graduated magna cum laude from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena in 1981 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fine Arts. For the next two decades he worked as an illustrator for various companies in California and New York before starting a career as a professional artist in 2009.

His realistic paintings can be divided into two main categories: biographical interior paintings and paintings depicting working people. His interest in this style of painting is rooted in the work of the 16th-century artist Jan Vermeer, and extends to objects, self-portraits, portraits of family members, friends, students, studio, classroom and home interiors. Its purpose is to realistic paintings create mood and emotion through light manipulation and the use of muted colors.

Chang became famous after the transition to traditional visual arts. Over the past 12 years, he has earned numerous awards and honors, the most prestigious being the Master Signature from the Oil Painters Association of America, the largest oil painting community in the United States. Only one person out of 50 is honored with the opportunity to receive this award. Currently, Warren lives in Monterey and works in his studio, he also teaches (known as a talented teacher) at the San Francisco Academy of the Arts.

Aurelio Bruni

Aurelio Bruni - italian artist. Born in Blair, October 15, 1955. Graduated with a degree in scenography from the Art Institute in Spoleto. As an artist, he is self-taught, as he independently “built the house of knowledge” on the foundation laid back in school. He began painting in oils at the age of 19. Currently lives and works in Umbria.

Bruni's early painting is rooted in surrealism, but over time he begins to focus on the proximity of lyrical romanticism and symbolism, reinforcing this combination with the exquisite refinement and purity of his characters. Animate and inanimate objects acquire equal dignity and look almost hyper-realistic, but at the same time, they do not hide behind a curtain, but allow you to see the essence of your soul. Versatility and sophistication, sensuality and loneliness, thoughtfulness and fruitfulness are the spirit of Aurelio Bruni, nourished by the splendor of art and the harmony of music.

Aleksander Balos

Alkasandr Balos is a contemporary Polish artist specializing in oil painting. Born in 1970 in Gliwice, Poland, but since 1989 he has been living and working in the USA, in the city of Shasta, California.

As a child, he studied art under the guidance of his father Jan, a self-taught artist and sculptor, so from early age, artistic activity received full support from both parents. In 1989, at the age of eighteen, Balos left Poland for the United States, where his schoolteacher and part-time artist Cathy Gaggliardi encouraged Alcasander to enroll in art school. Balos then received a full scholarship to the University of Milwaukee Wisconsin, where he studied painting with philosophy professor Harry Rosin.

After completing his studies in 1995 and receiving a bachelor's degree, Balos moved to Chicago to attend school visual arts, whose methods are based on the work of Jacques-Louis David. figurative realism and portrait painting made up the bulk of Balos' work in the 90s and early 2000s. Today, Balos uses the human figure to highlight the features and shortcomings of human existence, without offering any solutions.

The plot compositions of his paintings are intended to be independently interpreted by the viewer, only then the canvases will acquire their true temporal and subjective meaning. In 2005, the artist moved to Northern California, since then the scope of his work has expanded significantly and now includes freer methods of painting, including abstraction and various multimedia styles that help express the ideas and ideals of being through painting.

Alyssa Monks

Alyssa Monks - modern American artist. She was born in 1977 in Ridgewood, New Jersey. She became interested in painting when she was still a child. Studied at the New School in New York and State University Montclair, and graduated from Boston College in 1999, received a bachelor's degree. At the same time, she studied painting at the academy Lorenzo Medici in Florence.

Then she continued her studies under the program for a master's degree at the New York Academy of Art, in the Department of Figurative Art, graduating in 2001. She graduated from Fullerton College in 2006. For some time she lectured at universities and educational institutions throughout the country, teaching painting at the New York Academy of Art, as well as Montclair State University and Lyme Academy College of Art.

“Using filters such as glass, vinyl, water and steam, I distort human body. These filters allow you to create large areas abstract design, with islands of color peeking through them - parts of the human body.

My pictures are changing modern look to the already established, traditional postures and gestures of bathing women. They could tell an attentive viewer a lot about such seemingly self-evident things as the benefits of swimming, dancing, and so on. My characters are pressed against the glass of the shower cabin window, distorting their own body, realizing that they thereby influence the notorious male look at a naked woman. Thick layers of paint are mixed together to mimic glass, steam, water and flesh from afar. However, up close, delightful physical properties oil paint. By experimenting with layers of paint and color, I find the moment when abstract strokes become something else.

When I first started painting the human body, I was immediately fascinated and even obsessed with it and felt that I had to make my paintings as realistic as possible. I "professed" realism until it began to unravel and deconstruct itself. Now I am exploring the possibilities and potential of a style of painting where representational painting and abstraction meet – if both styles can coexist at the same moment in time, I will do it.”

Antonio Finelli

Italian artist - time watcher” – Antonio Finelli was born on February 23, 1985. Currently lives and works in Italy between Rome and Campobasso. His works have been exhibited in several galleries in Italy and abroad: Rome, Florence, Novara, Genoa, Palermo, Istanbul, Ankara, New York, and they can also be found in private and public collections.

Pencil drawings " Watcher of time” Antonio Finelli send us on an eternal journey through inner world human temporality and the rigorous analysis of this world associated with it, the main element of which is the passage through time and the traces it inflicts on the skin.

Finelli paints portraits of people of any age, gender and nationality, whose facial expressions indicate the passage through time, and the artist also hopes to find evidence of the ruthlessness of time on the bodies of his characters. Antonio defines his works with one, general title: “Self-portrait”, because in his pencil drawings he not only depicts a person, but allows the viewer to contemplate real results the passage of time within a person.

Flaminia Carloni

Flaminia Carloni is a 37-year-old Italian artist, the daughter of a diplomat. She has three children. Twelve years she lived in Rome, three years in England and France. Received a degree in art history from the BD School of Art. Then she received a diploma in the specialty restorer of works of art. Before finding her calling and devoting herself entirely to painting, she worked as a journalist, colorist, designer, and actress.

Flaminia's passion for painting arose as a child. Her main medium is oil because she loves “coiffer la pate” and also plays with the material. She learned a similar technique in the works of the artist Pascal Torua. Flaminia is inspired by the great masters of painting such as Balthus, Hopper, and François Legrand, as well as various art movements: street art, Chinese realism, surrealism and renaissance realism. Her favorite painter Caravaggio. Her dream is to discover the therapeutic power of art.

Denis Chernov

Denis Chernov is talented Ukrainian artist, was born in 1978 in Sambir, Lviv region, Ukraine. After graduating from Kharkov art school in 1998 he stayed in Kharkov, where he currently lives and works. He also studied at Kharkov state academy design and arts, department of graphics, graduated in 2004.

He regularly participates in art exhibitions, on the this moment there were more than sixty of them, both in Ukraine and abroad. Most of Denis Chernov's works are kept in private collections in Ukraine, Russia, Italy, England, Spain, Greece, France, USA, Canada and Japan. Some of the works were sold at Christie's.

Denis works in a wide range of graphics and painting techniques. Pencil drawings are one of his favorite painting methods, a list of his topics pencil drawings also very diverse, he paints landscapes, portraits, nudes, genre compositions, book illustrations, literary and historical reconstructions and fantasies.

Monochrome painting of Japan is one of the unique phenomena of the art of the East. A lot of works and studies are devoted to it, but it is often perceived as a very conditional thing, and sometimes even decorative. This is not so. The spiritual world of the Japanese artist is very rich, and he cares not so much about the aesthetic component, but about the spiritual one. Art of the East is a synthesis of external and internal, explicit and implicit.

In this post, I would like to pay attention not to the history of monochrome painting, but to its essence. This will be discussed.

Screen "Pine" Hasegawa Tohaku, 1593.

What we see in monochrome paintings is the result of the artist's interaction with the pine triad: paper, brush, ink. Therefore, in order to properly understand the work, one must understand the artist himself and his attitude.

"Landscape" Sesshu, 1398

Paper for Japanese master not easy improvised material, which he subordinates to his whim, but rather, on the contrary, is a “brother”, therefore, the attitude towards her has developed accordingly. Paper is a part of the surrounding nature, which the Japanese have always treated with reverence and tried not to subjugate, but to coexist peacefully with it. Paper is in the past a tree that stood in a certain area, certain time, “saw” something around her, and she keeps it all. This is how the Japanese artist perceives the material. Often, the masters, before starting work, looked for a long time at Blank sheet(contemplated it) and only then proceeded to painting. Even today, contemporary Japanese artists who practice Nihon-ga (traditional Japanese painting) carefully choose their paper. They buy it on order from paper mills. For each artist of a certain thickness, moisture permeability and texture (many artists even enter into an agreement with the factory owner not to sell this paper to other artists) - therefore, each painting is perceived as something unique and alive.

"Reading in a bamboo grove" Shubun, 1446.

Speaking about the significance of this material, it is worth mentioning such famous monuments Japanese literature such as Sei Shonagon's "Notes at the Headboard" and Murasaki Shikibu's "Genji Monogotari": in both "Notes" and "Genji" you can find scenes when courtiers or lovers exchange messages. The paper on which these messages were written was of the appropriate season, shade, and the manner of writing the text corresponded to its texture.

"Murasaki Shikibu at Ishiyama Shrine" Kyosen

Brush- the second component is the continuation of the master's hand (again, this is natural material). Therefore, brushes were also made to order, but most often by the artist himself. He selected the hairs of the required length, chose the size of the brush and the most comfortable handle. The master writes only with his own brush and no other. (From personal experience: was at the master class Chinese artist Jiang Shilun, the audience asked to show what his students who were present at the master class can do, and each of them, picking up the master’s brush, said that it would turn out not what they expected, since the brush was not theirs, they were not used to it and don't know how to use it properly.

"Fuji" ink sketch by Katsushika Hokusai

ink- third important element. Ink happens different types: it can give a glossy or matte effect after drying, it can be mixed with silver or ocher shades, therefore right choice mascara is also not unimportant.

Yamamoto Baitsu, late XVIII- XIX century.

The main subjects of monochrome painting are landscapes. Why don't they have color?

Twin screen "Pines", Hasegawa Tohaku

Firstly, the Japanese artist is not interested in the object itself, but in its essence, a certain component that is common to all living things and leads to harmony between man and nature. Therefore, the image is always a hint, it is addressed to our feelings, and not to vision. Understatement is a stimulus for dialogue, and hence connection. Lines and spots are important in the image - they form artistic language. This is not the liberty of the master, who, where he wanted, left a greasy mark there, and in another place, on the contrary, did not draw well - in the picture everything has its own meaning and meaning, and does not carry a random character.

Secondly, color always carries some kind of emotional connotation and is perceived differently. different people in different states, therefore, emotional neutrality allows the viewer to most adequately enter into a dialogue, position him for perception, contemplation, and thought.

Thirdly, this is the interaction of yin and yang, any monochrome picture is harmonious in terms of the ratio of ink and the untouched area of ​​paper in it.

Why most of paper space is not used?

"Landscape" Syubun, middle of the 15th century.

First, the vacancy of space immerses the viewer in the image; secondly, the image is created as if it floated to the surface for a moment and is about to disappear - this is connected with the worldview and worldview; thirdly, in those areas where there is no ink, the texture and shade of paper come to the fore (this is not always visible on reproductions, but in reality it is always the interaction of two materials - paper and ink).

Sesshu, 1446

Why landscape?

"Contemplation of the Waterfall" Gayami, 1478

According to the Japanese worldview, nature is more perfect than man, so he must learn from her, protect her in every possible way, and not destroy or subjugate. Therefore, in many landscapes you can see small images of people, but they are always insignificant, small in relation to the landscape itself, or images of huts that fit into the space around them and are not even always noticeable - these are all symbols of the worldview.

"Seasons: Autumn and Winter" Sesshu. "Landscape" Sesshu, 1481

In conclusion, I want to say that monochrome Japanese painting is not randomly splashed ink, it is not a whim of the artist’s inner ego - it is a whole system of images and symbols, it is a repository of philosophical thought, and most importantly, a way of communication and harmonization of oneself and the world around.

Here, I think, are the answers to the main questions that the viewer has when confronted with monochrome Japanese painting. I hope they will help you to understand it most correctly and perceive it when you meet.

Which covers many techniques and styles. Throughout its history, it has undergone a large number of changes. New traditions and genres were added, and the original Japanese principles remained. Along with amazing story Japan painting is also ready to present many unique and interesting facts.

ancient japan

The first styles appear in the most ancient historical period countries before BC. e. Back then, art was pretty primitive. First, in 300 B.C. e., there were various geometric figures which were made on pottery with sticks. Such a find by archaeologists as an ornament on bronze bells belongs to a later time.

A little later, already in 300 AD. e., appear cave drawings which are much more varied. geometric ornament. These are already full-fledged images with images. They were found inside the crypts, and probably the people who are painted on them were buried in these burial grounds.

In the 7th century A.D. e. Japan adopts the script that comes from China. Around the same time, the first paintings come from there. Then painting appears as a separate sphere of art.

edo

Edo is far from the first and not the last painting, but it was she who brought a lot of new things to the culture. Firstly, it is the brightness and brilliance that were added to the usual technique, performed in black and gray tones. Most outstanding artist This style is considered Sotasu. He created classical paintings but his characters were very colorful. Later, he switched to nature, and most of the landscapes were done against a background of gilding.

Secondly, during the Edo period, the exotic, the namban genre, appeared. It used modern European and Chinese technicians that are intertwined with traditional Japanese styles.

And thirdly, the Nang school appears. In it, the artists first completely imitate or even copy the works of Chinese masters. Then a new branch appears, which is called bunjing.

Modernization period

The Edo period replaces the Meiji, and now japanese painting forced to go to new stage development. At this time, genres such as the western and the like were becoming popular all over the world, so the modernization of art became a common state of affairs. However, in Japan, a country where all people revere traditions, in given time things were very different from what happened in other countries. Here, competition between European and local technicians flares up sharply.

The government at this stage gives its preference to young artists who serve great expectations to improve skills in Western styles. Therefore, they send them to schools in Europe and America.

But this was only at the beginning of the period. The fact is that notable critics pretty much criticized Western art. To avoid a lot of hype around this issue, European styles and techniques began to be banned at exhibitions, their display ceased, as did their popularity.

The emergence of European styles

Then comes the Taisho period. At this time, young artists who left to study in foreign schools come back to their homeland. Naturally, they bring with them new styles of Japanese painting, which are very similar to European ones. Impressionism and post-impressionism appear.

On the this stage many schools are formed in which the ancient japanese styles. But it is not possible to completely get rid of Western tendencies. Therefore, it is necessary to combine several techniques in order to please both lovers of the classics and fans of modern European painting.

Some schools are funded by the state, thanks to which many of the national traditions are preserved. Private traders, on the other hand, are forced to follow the lead of consumers who want something new, they are tired of the classics.

WWII painting

After the onset of wartime, Japanese painting remained aloof from events for some time. It developed separately and independently. But it couldn't go on like this forever.

Over time, when the political situation in the country is getting worse, high and respected figures attract many artists. Some of them, even at the beginning of the war, begin to create in patriotic styles. The rest start this process only by order of the authorities.

Accordingly, Japanese fine arts during the Second World War were unable to develop especially. Therefore, for painting it can be called stagnant.

Eternal Suibokuga

Japanese sumi-e painting, or suibokuga, means "ink drawing". This defines the style and technique this art. It came from China, but the Japanese decided to give it their own name. And initially the technique did not have any aesthetic side. It was used by the monks for self-improvement while studying Zen. Moreover, at first they drew pictures, and later they trained their concentration while viewing them. The monks believed that strict lines, vague tones and shadows help improvement - all that is called monochrome.

Japanese ink painting, despite the wide variety of paintings and techniques, is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance. It is based on only 4 plots:

1. Chrysanthemum.
2. Orchid.
3. Plum branch.
4. Bamboo.

A small number of plots does not make the development of technology fast. Some masters believe that learning lasts a lifetime.

Despite the fact that sumi-e appeared a long time ago, it is always in demand. Moreover, today you can meet the masters of this school not only in Japan, it is also widespread far beyond its borders.

Modern period

At the end of the Second World War, art in Japan flourished only in large cities, the villagers and villagers had enough worries. For the most part, the artists tried to turn their backs on the losses of the war and depict modern urban life with all its embellishments and features on canvas. European and American ideas were successfully adopted, but this state of affairs did not last long. Many masters began to gradually move away from them towards Japanese schools.

The traditional style has always been fashionable. Therefore, modern Japanese painting can differ only in the technique of execution or the materials used in the process. But most artists do not perceive various innovations well.

Not to mention fashionable modern subcultures such as anime and similar styles. Many artists are trying to blur the line between the classics and what is in demand today. For the most part, this state of affairs is due to commerce. Classics and traditional genres in fact, they don’t buy, therefore, it’s unprofitable to work as an artist in your favorite genre, you need to adapt to fashion.

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, Japanese painting is a treasure trove of fine arts. Perhaps the country in question remained the only one that did not follow Western trends, did not adapt to fashion. Despite many blows at the time of the arrival of new techniques, the artists of Japan still managed to defend national traditions in many genres. This is probably why, in modern times, paintings made in classical styles are highly valued at exhibitions.

Each country has its own heroes of contemporary art, whose names are well-known, whose exhibitions attract crowds of fans and curious people, and whose works are distributed among private collections.

In this article, we will introduce you to the most popular contemporary artists Japan.

Keiko Tanabe

Born in Kyoto, Keiko won many art competitions as a child, but higher education received not at all in the field of art. She has worked in the international relations department of a Japanese self-government trade organization in Tokyo, in a major law firm in San Francisco, and in a private consulting firm in San Diego, traveled extensively. Starting in 2003, she left her job and, after learning the basics of watercolor painting in San Diego, devoted herself exclusively to art.

Ikenaga Yasunari (Ikenaga Yasunari)

Japanese artist Ikenaga Yasunari paints portraits modern women in ancient Japanese tradition painting using the Menso brush, mineral pigments, carbon black, ink and linen as a base. His characters are women of our time, but thanks to the style of Nihonga, there is a feeling that they came to us from ancient times.

Abe Toshiyuki

Abe Toshiyuki is a realist artist who has mastered watercolor technique. Abe can be called an artist-philosopher: he fundamentally does not draw well-known landmarks, preferring subjective compositions that reflect internal states the person watching them.

Hiroko Sakai

The career of the artist Hiroko Sakai began in the early 90s in the city of Fukuoka. After graduating from Seinan Gakuin University and french school Interior Design Nihon in the field of design and visualization, she founded "Atelier Yume-Tsumugi Ltd." and successfully managed this studio for 5 years. Many of her works adorn the lobbies of hospitals, offices of large corporations and some municipal buildings in Japan. After moving to the United States, Hiroko began to paint in oils.

Riusuke Fukahori

The three-dimensional works of Ryuusuki Fukahori are like holograms. They are done acrylic paint applied in several layers, and a transparent resin liquid - all this, without excluding traditional methods such as drawing shadows, softening edges, controlling transparency, allows Ryusuki to create sculptural painting and gives depth and realism to the work.

Natsuki Otani

Natsuki Otani is a talented Japanese illustrator living and working in England.

Makoto Muramatsu

Makoto Muramatsu chose a win-win theme as the basis for his work - he draws cats. His pictures are popular all over the world, especially in the form of puzzles.

Tetsuya Mishima

Most of the paintings of modern Japanese artist Mishima is made in oil. She has been painting professionally since the 90s, she has several personal exhibitions and a large number of collective exhibitions, both Japanese and foreign.