＜HOSHINA＞ is a furniture brand that the founder, who learned the idea of modern furniture and the way of comfortable living in Italy, started developing in Japan in 1969. Based on the idea of "furniture that should be used with peace of mind for a long time," we keep pursuing a simple design, high durability, and maintainability for all products. We will deliver products of reliable quality and propose a rich lifestyle for each customer.
Q1. Production：Can you demonstrate to us your process of painting? Don't you dislike demonstrating your specialized custom painting techniques? A1. I don’t believe that the technique determines the spirit of the work, or the heart of the artist. So I have no hesitation in sharing my techniques with those who can benefit in artistic expression by using them. An important thing is to train and believe in developing each artist's expression through their art and images expressed. Q2. How did you come to work on your "Landscape" series? A2. I was inspired working away from Japan (overseas) and capturing the difference and openness of America’s Western vast endless space. I wanted to put myself in the world of American art, which was a major driving force in 20th century art, and to deepen my own expression through painting. American contemporary art developed in America, reflected the country's history, religion, racial and ethnic diversity, societal evolution, industrial revolution economy, and many other things different from my own Japanese roots and culture. I realized that going abroad does not mean painting that which I see as different, but rather experiencing a self-renewal in my artistic expression in my Landscape series of paintings. I no longer felt any sense of reality in what I had created under the influence of American art living in the United States. In other words, I had broken through a great mindset barrier to free my artistic expression and take it in a new direction. During that period of self-discovery, I tried to paint something for myself; not for anyone or for anyone to see-but for myself as I moved my hands frantically across the canvas. The finished scene reminded me of the countryside in which I was born and raised; a scene I remembered from before I even entered elementary school. It was very different from what I had been creating based on my previous work of contemporary Western art. This was the birth of "Landscape" series which has led to the present day. Q3. It's as if you are in between the abstract and the figurative, evoking a variety of landscapes for the viewer. What is the appeal of your work? A3 I'm not painting a landscape of a memory of somewhere. However, what people who have seen my work say is that it is the scenery from their memories. Through my work, I am talking about my past experiences and emotions, about myself and when I was in that space. What I have depicted through my own reflection has the effect of causing the viewers to reflect on their own. I think this way relates to the universal nature of art. Q4 What is the plan for the exhibition at ARFLEX TOKYO (*)? It is interesting to exhibit together with furniture in a space that is not a gallery, and I would like to ask you if there are any differences in your special perception and thought process. A4: I believe that art works are not painted for the space of a museum or gallery, but for the people who see them. I chose the works of art to exhibit because I wanted to encourage people who have never had the experience of living with art in their daily lives, and of living with something that they have chosen with their own eyes, as a reference. I have heard from many people who have purchased my work that they have different impression with it viewed every day in their environment after they saw it just once at a gallery. I have noticed that people view things differently over time as they look at them, from day to day, season to season or bringing on different emotional moods of calm and enjoyment looking at the pictures. *ARFLEX TOKYO is a modern furniture flagship shop in Tokyo, where you can experience their vision of the ideal lifestyle
