Nature serves as inspiration for the delicate paintings and sculptural works of Shigemi Yasuhara. Beech and horse chestnut trees or the flowers of the Japanese countryside are expressed in exquisite paintings on traditional paper —washi — using mineral pigments such as lapis lazuli and verdigris. A simple colour palette and meticulous attention to detail translate the stillness and serenity of untroubled nature onto page or wood, while Yasuhara’s series of seed-filled bombs point to the possibility of healing or re-birth.
Yasuhara earned his PhD from Tokyo University of the Arts in 2016 and has exhibited work across Japan, including at prestigious venues including the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and the Yokohama-Faye Art Museum. He has received numerous awards, including the Nomura Art Prize (2016) and the Grand Prize at the Yamtane Museum of Art (2019).
