Hiroko Kubo

Hiroko Kubo is a Japanese sculptor and artist based in Hiroshima. Kubo's artistic philosophy is deeply rooted in a reverence for prehistoric and ethnic art. Kubo sees in these ancient artistic expressions a reflection of both the diversity and universality of human creativity. Through her large-scale, site-specific sculptures crafted from everyday construction materials like blue poly tarps, steel, and concrete, Kubo seeks to explore the commonalities and differences in human creative expression across time and cultures.

In her artist statement for the exhibition titled Steel Framed Goddess, Kubo reflects on the Noto Peninsula earthquake of New Year's Day 2024 in Japan, which served as a poignant reminder of the fragility of both human civilization and the human body. In a similar publication Kubo states, "Sculptures, like people, have volume, exist in the same physical space, and will weather and break down under the same physical conditions. This ephemerality and fragility is what I love about sculptures. At the same time, the fact that it has survived in the world for tens or hundreds of thousands of years by the will of our ancestors (sometimes by accident) shows the strength in this form and is one of the driving forces behind my continued work in sculpture”. 

Nabbie Hara

Nabbie Hara is a Japanese artist studying at the Tokyo University of Arts. Hara is influenecd by the often exaggerated facial expressions and actions which we see in Manga. In her works, Hara frequently portrays individuals engaged in actions such as kissing and punching, citing  “violence and eroticism” as key themes that influence her works. Hara’s works capture the moment of impact between actions, employing contrasting block colours to spotlight the dynamic scenes depicted. Another manga-like aspect is the flatness evoked on the canvas, achieved through a lack of prospective. 

Moyan

Moyan is a young contemporary Japanese artist who recently completed their masters course in oil and painting techniques and materials research at the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of Arts in 2020. Moyan’s artworks prominently feature doll motifs, influenced by the artist’s personal experience of being born with a missing left ear. At the age of 13, Moyan underwent plastic surgery in two sessions to create an artificial left ear. This experience is echoed in many of Moyan’s works, where the absence of limbs and heads in the dolls evokes a sense of the uncanny, reflecting on the artist’s own physical journey. Moreover, many of the dolls are depicted as being dirty, indicative of prolonged use by a child before being abandoned when they become disfigured and worn out. The symbolism reflected social attitudes towards individuals with disfigurements, often deemed as ‘undesirable’. Moyan’s paintings are primarily executed with paint and are characterised by vibrant colours that further captivate the viewer’s attention.

Sasaku Kusuriyubi

Sasaku Kusuriyubi is a painter based in the Wakayama prefecture in Japan, influenced by anime, mythology and broader Pop Art sensibilities. The inspiration of her characters come from her childhood in the country side, where she was inspired by how living organisms inhabit the world without any awareness of each other as individuals. Kusuriyubi views this unconsciousness as freedom which is a theme she explores in her art by creating characterisations of yōkai, the “mysterious apparitions” and monsters of Japanese lore. Kusuuriyubi’s main medium of choice is acrylic paint on canvas and much of her works is crafted using Porcreate.

Hizgi

Hizgi is a Japanese illustrator and a manga artist. Hizgi’s solo exhibitions abroad, "KIBUN" in Berlin (2011) and "GG BOT FESTIVAL" in Amsterdam (2012), has positioned her art to be highly acclaimed both at home and abroad.She uniquely projects herself onto the character HIZGI GIRL created upon fetishes and kawaii culture. Hizgi’s manga art and stories can be seen on her instagram page @hizgi_manga.

Kotao Tomozawa

Kotao Tomozawa is a student at Tokyo University of the Arts majoring in oil painting. Kotao has majored in multiple solo shows and group exhibitions since 2022. The artist’s style can be chategorized as hyper-realistic paintings, which play on various textures such as slime materials and organic motifs, often imbuing her paintings a sense of three-dimensionality. Motifs of suffocation are prevalent on her canvases, with her main choice of subject matter being babies, which may indicate a critique on motherhood. However, the artist does not comment on this aspect of her work. In addition, her use of primary colours further intensifies this theme of suffocation. Kotao formed an art unit “Tororoen” with her mother, a manga artist, in 2019. In an interview with Japan House, she attributes her early inspiration to her mother and cites additional influences such as Hanawa Kazuichi’s manga “Tsukuba no Hikari” and the paintings of Francis Bacon.