Gold accents and a dewy palette characterize the expressive force of Hiroe Dazai’s stunning mixed media works on canvas. The delicate grace of traditional Japanese painting is enhanced with found elements including rocks, shells, sumi, gold and other materials on Japanese paper, transmitting the beauty of the natural world in all its poignant harmony. Flowers, forest foliage and terrestrial vines pop out against softly rendered fields of atmospheric color fusion. Occasionally, human figuration imbues the scene with a narrative pseudo-realism and seductive charm. Dazai’s Universe of Flowers series, which the artist has worked on to great effect since 2009, references Western oil painting, design and drawing, all the while maintaining a sacred element whereby, as Dazai says, ‘Paint shines as light.’
Hiroe Dazai was born in a small village on a northern island of Japan and received a BFA from the Kyoto University of Art and Design in 2006.