Artist Spotlight: Hideaki Kawashima

This week prepare to be mesmerised by the work of Japanese artist Hideaki Kawashima.

Born in the Aichi Prefecture of Japan, Hideaki Kawashima studied at Tokyo Zokei University before undertaking two years of training as a Buddhist monk. It was only until 2001 that he laid the foundations for an artistic career, studying under Yoshitomo Nara, whose influence is apparent in his manga-inspired characters and simple backgrounds.

Following the tradition of portraiture, Kawashima embraces various emotions and expressions in his ethereal paintings. His limited colour palette places the emphasis firmly on form and the facial features of his subjects. But what truly captivates the viewers are the characteristic large eyes that unveil layers of emotion, making it nearly impossible to look away.

In works such as Speed (2005), female figures take on ghostly or biomorphic forms, with cherry red lips and white tendrils of hair spilling across the canvas. They float like balloons in space, defying gravity and control. There is a juxtaposition between the characters’ gentle, feminine features and their domineering, stark gazes.

The focus on these characters, who seek comfort in their isolation, can be perceived as narcissistic and self-serving. However, it is perhaps the artist’s very own meditative teachings that allow him to ironically use the obsession of one’s self to bring forth inward-gazing introspection, bringing Buddhist ideals into both his paintings and his own artistic practice.

Kawashima will be launching a limited print edition in two parts with Avant Arte starting Wednesday, 15 November. He recently held his third solo exhibition, Stay Still, with Richard Heller Gallery from September 9 - October 28, 2023.

Hideaki Kawashima: “Each painting was an act of suffering. Until I was done with one piece, I couldn’t move on to the next one.”

Images courtesy of Phillips.