The motif, Tateishi is a beach right near my house. I like something that is quiet. People, views and other things. I like to gaze at something very quietly and that is my motivation to start painting. So a lot of the time, I start painting where I usually walk. It's been 11 years since I moved to Hayama, a place in Kanagawa prefecture. Tateishi is a place that is often painted by Hiroshige Utagawa's ukiyoe, being it is a very scenic spot for painting, I was afraid that the composition will be too well done. So I couldn't paint the view and quickly 10 years past by.
After the Covid in 2020, I started walking around my house often. I had a chance to stop by Tateishi more than before. After that, I realized how amazing this view is.
Then I started thinking, how can I paint this place without letting it be like a postcard picture. Because I don't usually paint views.
Once in a while, Tateishi gets really foggy. When that happens, the fog hides Mt.Fuji which means it deletes the main character of the scene. But I felt like that is more like me to paint it that way. It's supposed to be a big stone standing still on the left side of the composition and on the right side there are pine trees and right in the middle, far back, there is Mt.Fuji. It's a perfect view. I thought the view will be more plain in a good way and common as a view. Better to paint it like that for myself, more like me.
I like cloudy days. Since long ago. The view is not as clear, letting you imagine what's beyond the fog, the feeling of rain coming and the moment of sun. It makes you think about the time moving around. A walk around my house became a habit, I was able to see the view frequently and finally I felt like I was able to start painting.
Fog hiding the Mt.Fuji at Tateishi Foggy View
Ryo Shiotani
Born in Tokyo, 1975. Musashino Art University Oil Painting Major, after graduating study abroad in Italy. Assigned to Agency for Cultural Affairs Emerging Art Overseas Training in Florence.
Member of Niki-kai. Professor of Kyushu Sangyo University Faculty of Arts, Adjunct instructor of Nihon University Faculty of Arts.
Toshihiro Ohata
Born in Shimane Prefecture in 1960. Completed graduate school at Tokyo University of the Arts. Illustrated the newspaper novel "Tengai no Hana" (written by Tomiko Miyao) (1996). Kanji Maeda Grand Prize Exhibition Semi-Grand Prize (2001). Received the Prime Minister's Award at Hakujitsuten (2007). Currently a member of Hakujitsukai.
Fumihiko Gomi
Born in Nagano in 1953. Graduated Musashino Art University Faculty of Art and Design, Oil painting Major
2005 Hakuchikai Prime Minister's Award. 2018 MEAN Hoki Museum Exhibition.
Delicate and detailed still image paintings to abyss landscape paintings, novelty portraits. Always searching for new ways for realistic painting.
Hoki Museum has many masterpieces of view paintings. I paint mostly portraits. I felt that I can't be beaten on landscape painting and also I have to express my feelings within and what I hold there. On landscape paintings, it's usually drawn clearly. Many painters draw the lights very clearly. As for me, as I mentioned already, I wanted to paint something that is a bit foggy and somewhat soft and tender. That was one of my themes.
Another theme was how to deal with the materials. When I paint portraits, I usually try to make the paint surface smooth. But when it comes to painting a fog, I needed to think about how to express that. Thought I needed to make the paint surface somewhat rough, not just paste the paints on. This was the first time for me to try something like that to make it look like and be able to feel the particles of fog and reflections of it.
Mattiere that gives a misty feel to the painting surface
*On display at Gallery 8
The motivation and reason to paint a view depends on how and where I was led and taken away to the view. That is an important factor for sure. Same thing applies when I paint portraits. In both situations, I give myself enough time to think and mature until I am ready. No matter how beautiful it is, it doesn't mean that it will turn into a great painting. Even if it's a view that I see daily, I try to digest it to comprehend, then mature it inside me before I start painting it. And this process is very important for me. The time to mature it inside myself is an esquisse. This covid situation and time made me think and gaze at things around me. The other day, I had a solo exhibition,all the paintings were painted during the covid, within these 2 years. I realized all of the paintings were only a few miles away from my house. People, still life, views. They wouldn't exist if this covid never happened.
Digesting the view being used to seeing and maturing it
I love Italy. The people, culture, food and everything. Especially Florence. I chose Florence to study painting, and that was the happiest moment of my life. For a whole year, I was able to feel and be inside the culture and every beautiful aspect of Italy.
After that year, I went there many times and I literally want to say "I'm going back to Italy". I want to go there right now.
I saw a photo book when I was in middle school, a picture of Italy with orange colored roofs of the houses. It's still in my heart and that view never fades. I promised myself that some day I'm going there. A place so beautiful and it's almost as if I have been timeslipped to the middle ages. After 20 years, that dream came true. I was able to go there to study Renaissance paintings.
Going to Italy to study about Renaissance
*There is currently no exhibition at the Hoki Museum.
I like the Netherlands and Paris, indeed. But what I love about Italy is that stone made city and the color of it.
I especially love the Toscana area. The brownish city with orange roof tiles. Bit of green for an accent on the shutter. It is just amazing and beautiful and it is so painting-like. It matches my sensibility. When I go there, I take my sketch book and camera but what I really need is my wife. When I'm not with her, it's boring. We have the same sensibility, so we feel the same way about many things. It's great and wonderful to be able to have someone that can relate. If I was going on a trip alone, maybe my happiness would be half of when I'm going with her.
A view and colors of the city that feels right to my sensibility
You might think this is weird but the view I like doesn't mean the view I want to paint. Therefore I don't paint views of Italy. The views of Italy are something that I admire. I like it, I paint it but I can't feel the depth in it. It makes me think about the reason to paint.
I always tend to come back to these feelings that I'd like to gaze at something really deep. Something near me, around me. Very personal and what is in my daily life. So I end up looking at things around me that are close by.
Since it became hard to go on a trip overseas, I am starting to see Japan more than before. In the near future, I'd like to paint them. Lately I've been thinking about the southern areas of Japan, especially Nagasaki, Kumamoto. I'd like to take my time and go around Japan.
What I want t paint is a moment that is acknowledging something from daily life
Artist interview
Ryo Shiotani
Born in Tokyo, 1975. Musashino Art University Oil Painting Major, after graduating study abroad in Italy. Assigned to Agency for Cultural Affairs Emerging Art Overseas Training in Florence.
Member of Niki-kai. Professor of Kyushu Sangyo University Faculty of Arts, Adjunct instructor of Nihon University Faculty of Arts.
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