Hidekazu in his Studio 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 works.  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 colors, 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.

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www.Art-Mine.com/ArtistPage/Hidekazu_Ishikawa.aspx

Flowers - Acrylic & Mixed Media 36'' x 36'' Rust - Oil & Acrylic with Mixed Media 36'' x 36''