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HIDEKAZU ISHIKAWA
In order to truly understand the nature of a foreign culture,
one must spend time amongst its people. This is a maxim
Hidekazu Ishikawa has taken to heart. During his time
in Berlin, he sold his works on the art market in front of
the Pergamon museum where the citizens and tourists
could flow freely and gather around his art. Berlin was a
revelation for him, as there are few such art markets in his
native Japan.
Ishikawa’s works are full of complexity and display a
subtle mix of color and texture that makes his pieces so
fascinating. Colors are toned down with earthy yellows,
browns and grey. These counterpoint the simple, almost
naïve representational shapes that appear, such as flowers,
their round symmetrical petals formed from found pieces
of wire. In bright colours, the forms could seem garish,
but in Ishikawa’s layered world of metal and paint, they are
merely a reference, an allusion to a world of popular culture
and graphic prints. His background in photography (he
produces digital prints of his photographic work) informs
the graphic elements of his paintings, but it is the paint itself
that is most important for Ishikawa. It is the paint that allows
him to express himself, that ultimately creates the piece of
work. The process focuses on expression, with aesthetics
taking a secondary role. This instinctive, natural way of
approaching the work is perhaps informed by Ishikawa’s
deep love of nature and creatures; animals, fish, insects.
Despite the fact that all his materials are artificial—found
pieces of metal and glass embedded in acrylic paint—
their high level of sophistication and sensitivity points to a
connection with the materials in their most raw state.
Creating beautiful artworks is paramount for Ishikawa.
People connect to beauty, and so his work becomes open
to them. There is true joy in making work for other people
that they will then love and treasure.
Hidekazu Ishikawa has returned to Japan, having worked
in Berlin as a painter and photographer.
Websites: www.hidy67.web.fc2.com
www.Art-Mine.com/ArtistPage/Hidekazu_Ishikawa.aspx
Hidekazu in his Studio
Flowers Acrylic & Mixed Media 36” x 36”
Rust Oil & Acrylic with Mixed Media 36” x 36”
77 ArtisSpectrum