Makoto Fujii (b. 1984) creates works on the theme of “Japanese realism”, which is neither Japanese nor Western painting, and is at once new and nostalgic. Just as Impressionist painters were once inspired by Japanese ukiyoe and pioneered new expressions, Fujii is once again seeking a fusion of Japan and the West in the modern age.

He chooses “water” as a motif to depict the shimmering formless things with oil paint, and continues to paint them because he is attracted by the fascination and figurative beauty of the way they change every time he paints them. It has become an important existence for the artist who aims to express the feeling of formless things that sway in the wind and change color depending on the light.

I want to create works of art that will be treasured by people in the future, when they find them hundreds of years after my death, in a completely different language and culture. I want to express the universal strength that lies beyond fashion, and I aim to create works that are not flashy, but will never grow tired of being seen over a long period of time.

By using a technique based on the traditional oil painting technique using plaster as a support, the layers of transparent colors add depth to the work. This technique is also known as a technique that can be preserved for a long time because the oil painting adheres to the plaster base very well, which is in line with the artist’s style of creating works that will be loved for a long time.

The paintings are not of special places of interest or scenic spots, but of familiar landscapes around our feet, and although they are not showy paintings, they are “gently gentle” works that depict familiar yet beautiful and important landscapes hidden in our daily lives. The reflections of the water and the close angles of the paintings make us imagine what is not depicted in the paintings, like a haiku.

From Makoto Fujii HP