RESONANCE by Mitsuko Hoshino

Mitsuko Hoshino: Resonance, a collection of paintings by Mitsuko Hoshino, opened at Daiwa Foundation Japan House on 16 January 2003.

Ms Hoshino’s work draws on traditional Japanese techniques and materials to translate fleeting impressions of nature into arresting visual images. Some of the paintings are group works of calm and sensual moods while others are single works of concentrated force and energy.

“My aim is to represent the sensations of nature. I am inspired by natural phenomena such as the movement of wind through grass; the constantly changing shapes of the sky when viewed through the branches of a tree; the sound of the waves on the seashore; or the reflections of light on moving water. Although I collect objects such as sea shells or pebbles as reminders, I still have to replay the images of nature in my mind in order to capture their true essence.

“Before I start painting, I do not have and do not aim to have a complete mental image of the colour, sound and smell of what I am intending to symbolise. Each painting evolves as I borrow lines, shapes and textures from natural objects to represent fleeting impressions that have no shape and no direct language.

“I am guided in the evolution of my paintings through my materials. I use traditional Japanese pigments, glue, paper, ink, and silver and gold leaf. Being natural materials, they demand perseverance. Traditional pigments do not mix like modern ones, and need to be applied in several layers to get the desired colour and texture. Moisture and temperature can also affect the materials so a work can be affected by the season in which it is painted. But I am fascinated by the purity and brilliance of the colours, the tactile surface of the paper, and how by using these materials I am, in a sense, collaborating with nature.

“Each of my paintings represents a feeling of nature that continues to resonate through my work long after I experienced it.” – Mitsuko Hoshino

Mitsuko Hoshino was born in Kanagawa,Japan, in 1968. Ms Hoshino studied at the prestigious Tama Art University in Tokyo before moving to the UK. The Japanese materials that Ms Hoshino uses include Iwa-enogu (mineral pigment), suihi-enogu (clay pigment), gofun (weathered oyster shell pigment) and nikawa (glue made from stag antlers or rabbit skin). Her work has been exhibited in theUK, the US and Austria as well as Japan, and she has been featured in ‘Nature’ and ‘Parfum’ magazines.