Touching Stone Japanese pottery, ceramics, & sumi-e Gallery

Hiroki Murata

Hiroki Murata resides in Chiba, near Tokyo, Japan. At first glance, his evocative paintings resemble black-and-white photographs. In fact, his work is rooted in traditions but driven by innovations. Murata studied under Japanese master Ikuo Hirayama at the prestigious Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. With an expertise in contemporary Nihon-Ga (Japanese painting), Murata's early works reflect lives in the metropolis, full of energy and vibrant colors. At the same time, there always seems to be an orderly simplicity in his subjects.

In 2001, Murata traveled to New Mexico and stayed in Santa Fe. The setting couldn’t be more different from Tokyo. Wandering among the side streets and surrounding country, he was struck by the rustic beauty of the land, and most of all, by the quiet luminosity of the light. Upon returning home, Murata set out to capture the powerful feelings from this experience. He wanted to explore a new medium and techniques that allow him to express the contrast between his homeland and the land he visited. Exploiting the evocative power of sumi ink, Murata produced a body of work with a striking melodramatic style. In order to create the feeling of light with black sumi ink, Murata makes use of the unique way sumi ink interacting with paper. When sumi ink penetrates into paper, it permanently occupies the spaces between paper fibers. Once absorbed, it cannot be displaced or diluted by adding more water. This characteristic of sumi-e is very different from that of oil painting, where layers of pigments can be added to cover previous brush strokes. In this regard, painting with sumi ink is somewhat analogous to dyeing fabrics. To create light in a night scene, Murata paints with broad washes of ink while selectively blocking ink from being absorbed into specific areas. This allows him to create extraordinary scenes - like a back-lit subject against a starry night sky - which are impossible to render by traditional sumi-e techniques.

The current show of Murata’s most recent work showcases the artist’s unique style.

Click on images to view selected pieces

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