Live painting at Cafe Pause, Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Mar 16th 2008  

Abstract painter Hiroaki Koshiba studies the relationship between music and images to create a body of abstract paintings rich with color, movement, and energy.  Drawing much of his inspiration from sound, Koshiba paints to musical recordings letting them guide his brush to create unique and spirited compositions.  More recently, Koshiba has taken his musical art to new levels, incorporating performance into his works.  Painting in public spaces throughout Tokyo, Beijing, Missouri, and New York, Koshiba collaborates with live musicians to create a multi sensory experience for the audience.  After the performance, the result is a fully realized work of abstract painting.  Reminiscent of an impromptu Jazz performance, these "Sound Images", as the artist calls them, are created without any previous planning yet result in harmoniously balanced completed works.  Working in his own visual lexicon of lines and dots, Koshiba concentrates on the sounds elicited by the musicians’ instruments to guide his mark making process. The music's mood, dynamic, tempo, and key help the artist select colors to interpret the music through visual means.

A native of Japan, emerging artist Hiroaki Koshiba is deeply influenced by the vibrant works of abstract founding father Vassily Kandinsky.  Drawing on the master's own emotive use of color, line, and texture, Koshiba further innovates the style of abstract painting through his imaginative collaborations and performances.