Hiroyuki MATSUURA 松浦浩之
The aesthetics of the younger generation, particularly in Asian popular culture, is often characterized by brightly colored images, changing visual effects with a penchant for fantasy found in animation and comic books. Once a graphic designer, Japanese artist Hiroyuki MATSUURA later decided to devote himself to fine art out of a natural desire to create works based solely on his own ideas. His art is known for animation forms, colorfulness and a touch of dark humor. Using “characters” as his subject, he imbues storytelling into his paintings while, by only partially showing the subject in terms of composition, to allow the viewer freely roam in boundless imagination. Like animation or virtual fantasies, MATSUURA believes his “characters” are a visual image that transcends language and can be understood universally by adults, children, men and women.
- 1964 Born in Tokyo, Japan
- 1984 Started to work as a graphic designer: advertising, packaging, binding and logo design.
- 1999 Started to produce ‘Poster + Package + Skateboard’ design on the theme of "Character illustration"
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
- 2020
- “Super Acrylic Skin-Quiet World”, ESLITE GALLERY, Taipei, Taiwan
- 2019
- “Super Acrylic Skin-Tokyo-Ga”, Tokyo Gallery+BTAP, Tokyo, Japan
- 2018
- “Super Acrylic Skin-When I Was A Child, I Was Happy Just To Draw A Paper Full of Characters”, Art Gallery, Takashimaya Nihonbashi Store, Tokyo; Art Gallery, Takashimaya Yokohama Store, Yokohama, Japan
- 2015
- “Super Acrylic Skin – Trigonal Clone”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Tokyo, Japan
- 2014
- “Super Acrylic Skin”, Takashimaya, Nihonbashi Store / Shinjuku Store / Osaka Store, Tokyo, Japan
- 2010
- “Super Acrylic Skin – Sweet Addiction”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Tokyo, Japan
- 2009
- “Super Acrylic Skin –PHOTON- Imaginary Temperature”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Beijing, China
- 2008
- “Acrylic Skin / Existence”, ESLITE GALLERY, Taipei, Taiwan
- 2007
- “Ultra New Visions”, ESLITE GALLERY, Taipei, Taiwan
- 2006
- “Super Acrylic Skin”, MIRAI projects, Stockholm, Sweden
- “Acrylic Skin”, Canvas International Art, Amstelveen, The Netherlands
- 2005
- “Super Acrylic Skin”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Tokyo, Japan
GROUP EXHIBITION
- 2019
- “Cool Japan”, MAS (Museum aan de Stroom), Antwerp, Belgium
- 2018
- “Cool Japan”, Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- 2017
- “Cool Japan – Worldwide Fascination in Focus”, Museum Volkenkunde, Leiden, the Netherlands
- 2016
- “Artistic Christmas Vol.X-MIRAI-”, Takashimaya, Shinjuku Store, Tokyo, Japan
- 2015
- “micro salon 2015”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Tokyo, Japan
- “Artistic Christmas Vol.VIII”, Takashimaya, Shinjuku Store, Tokyo, Japan
- “Show-zui-zu”, Takashimaya, Nihonbashi Store, Shinjuku Store, Tokyo, Japan
- 2014
- “Painting / Figurative”, Takashimaya, Shinjuku Store, Tokyo, Japan
- “micro salon 2014”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Tokyo, Japan
- 2013
- “micro salon 2013”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Tokyo, Japan
- “Artistic Christmas Vol.VII", Takashimaya, Shinjuku Store, Tokyo, Japan
- “Summer Show 2013”, Takashimaya, Nihonbashi Store / Shinjuku Store / Yokohama Store, Japan
- “la decoration”, Takashimaya, Nihonbashi Store, Tokyo, Japan
- 2012
- “micro salon 2012”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Tokyo, Japan
- “Artistic Christmas Vol.VI”, Takashimaya, Shinjuku Store, Tokyo, Japan
- “Takashimaya Rose – Art Session”, Takashimaya, Nihonbashi Store / Yokohama Store / Shinjuku Store / Osaka Store / Kyoto Store, Japan
- “Fantasy and Absurd Reality of Japanese Contemporary Art”, Edwin’s Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia
- 2011-2012
- “Future Pass”, Abbazia di San Gregorio, Venice, Italy / Wereldmuseum Rotterdam, The Netherlands / National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, Taiwan / Today Art Museum, Beijing, China
- 2010
- “micro salon 60”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Tokyo, Japan
- 2009
- “Metaphors of Un / Real – Animamix Biennial 2009-2010”, Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai, China
- “Animamix Biennial – Visial Attract & Attack”, Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei, Taiwan
- “Enliven- In Between Realities and Fiction – Animamix Biennial 2009-2010”, Today Art Museum, Beijing, China
- 2008
- “Japanese Contemporary Art”, Gallery IHN, Seoul, Korea
- “Milestones”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Beijing, China
- 2007
- “aniManga / VIA07 Festival international”, France
- “Japanese Contemporary Arts”, Gallery Sun Contemporary, Seoul, Korea
- “BTAP – Works in Progress”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Beijing, China
- 2006
- “JAPANIMATION!”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Beijing, China
- “Fiction @ Love”, Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai, China
- 2005
- “Techno – Orientalism”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Beijing, China
- “The 1st China International Animation and Comic Industrial Expo”, Hangzhou, Beijing, China
- 2004
- “Fiction. Love – Ultra New Vision in Contemporary Art’, Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei, Taiwan
- 2003
- TAP Gallery, Sydney, Australia
- STEP Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
- Bruce Watling Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
- 2002
- “IAIO International Art Exhibition”, The Air Gallery, London, UK
- “Traveling exhibition: 4 cities in Australia”, Bruce Watling Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
AWARD
- 2001
- Scout prize at “Takashi Murakami’s Geijutsu-Doujou/GP at MOT”, The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
PUBLIC COLLECTION
- Long Museum, Shanghai, China
PUBLICATIONS
- 1992
- "What time is it now, U-ckey?", BANDAI Publications, Japan
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
- 2020 “Super Acrylic Skin-Quiet World”, ESLITE GALLERY, Taipei, Taiwan
- 2008 "Acrylic Skin / Existence’, ESLITE GALLERY, Taipei, Taiwan
- 2007 "Ultra New Visions", Hiroyuki Matsuura Solo Exhibition, ESLITE GALLERY,Taipei, Taiwan
- 1964 Born in Tokyo, Japan
- 1984 Started to work as a graphic designer: advertising, packaging, binding and logo design.
- 1999 Started to produce ‘Poster + Package + Skateboard’ design on the theme of "Character illustration"
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
- 2020
- “Super Acrylic Skin-Quiet World”, ESLITE GALLERY, Taipei, Taiwan
- 2019
- “Super Acrylic Skin-Tokyo-Ga”, Tokyo Gallery+BTAP, Tokyo, Japan
- 2018
- “Super Acrylic Skin-When I Was A Child, I Was Happy Just To Draw A Paper Full of Characters”, Art Gallery, Takashimaya Nihonbashi Store, Tokyo; Art Gallery, Takashimaya Yokohama Store, Yokohama, Japan
- 2015
- “Super Acrylic Skin – Trigonal Clone”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Tokyo, Japan
- 2014
- “Super Acrylic Skin”, Takashimaya, Nihonbashi Store / Shinjuku Store / Osaka Store, Tokyo, Japan
- 2010
- “Super Acrylic Skin – Sweet Addiction”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Tokyo, Japan
- 2009
- “Super Acrylic Skin –PHOTON- Imaginary Temperature”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Beijing, China
- 2008
- “Acrylic Skin / Existence”, ESLITE GALLERY, Taipei, Taiwan
- 2007
- “Ultra New Visions”, ESLITE GALLERY, Taipei, Taiwan
- 2006
- “Super Acrylic Skin”, MIRAI projects, Stockholm, Sweden
- “Acrylic Skin”, Canvas International Art, Amstelveen, The Netherlands
- 2005
- “Super Acrylic Skin”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Tokyo, Japan
GROUP EXHIBITION
- 2019
- “Cool Japan”, MAS (Museum aan de Stroom), Antwerp, Belgium
- 2018
- “Cool Japan”, Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- 2017
- “Cool Japan – Worldwide Fascination in Focus”, Museum Volkenkunde, Leiden, the Netherlands
- 2016
- “Artistic Christmas Vol.X-MIRAI-”, Takashimaya, Shinjuku Store, Tokyo, Japan
- 2015
- “micro salon 2015”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Tokyo, Japan
- “Artistic Christmas Vol.VIII”, Takashimaya, Shinjuku Store, Tokyo, Japan
- “Show-zui-zu”, Takashimaya, Nihonbashi Store, Shinjuku Store, Tokyo, Japan
- 2014
- “Painting / Figurative”, Takashimaya, Shinjuku Store, Tokyo, Japan
- “micro salon 2014”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Tokyo, Japan
- 2013
- “micro salon 2013”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Tokyo, Japan
- “Artistic Christmas Vol.VII", Takashimaya, Shinjuku Store, Tokyo, Japan
- “Summer Show 2013”, Takashimaya, Nihonbashi Store / Shinjuku Store / Yokohama Store, Japan
- “la decoration”, Takashimaya, Nihonbashi Store, Tokyo, Japan
- 2012
- “micro salon 2012”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Tokyo, Japan
- “Artistic Christmas Vol.VI”, Takashimaya, Shinjuku Store, Tokyo, Japan
- “Takashimaya Rose – Art Session”, Takashimaya, Nihonbashi Store / Yokohama Store / Shinjuku Store / Osaka Store / Kyoto Store, Japan
- “Fantasy and Absurd Reality of Japanese Contemporary Art”, Edwin’s Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia
- 2011-2012
- “Future Pass”, Abbazia di San Gregorio, Venice, Italy / Wereldmuseum Rotterdam, The Netherlands / National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, Taiwan / Today Art Museum, Beijing, China
- 2010
- “micro salon 60”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Tokyo, Japan
- 2009
- “Metaphors of Un / Real – Animamix Biennial 2009-2010”, Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai, China
- “Animamix Biennial – Visial Attract & Attack”, Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei, Taiwan
- “Enliven- In Between Realities and Fiction – Animamix Biennial 2009-2010”, Today Art Museum, Beijing, China
- 2008
- “Japanese Contemporary Art”, Gallery IHN, Seoul, Korea
- “Milestones”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Beijing, China
- 2007
- “aniManga / VIA07 Festival international”, France
- “Japanese Contemporary Arts”, Gallery Sun Contemporary, Seoul, Korea
- “BTAP – Works in Progress”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Beijing, China
- 2006
- “JAPANIMATION!”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Beijing, China
- “Fiction @ Love”, Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai, China
- 2005
- “Techno – Orientalism”, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Beijing, China
- “The 1st China International Animation and Comic Industrial Expo”, Hangzhou, Beijing, China
- 2004
- “Fiction. Love – Ultra New Vision in Contemporary Art’, Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei, Taiwan
- 2003
- TAP Gallery, Sydney, Australia
- STEP Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
- Bruce Watling Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
- 2002
- “IAIO International Art Exhibition”, The Air Gallery, London, UK
- “Traveling exhibition: 4 cities in Australia”, Bruce Watling Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
AWARD
- 2001
- Scout prize at “Takashi Murakami’s Geijutsu-Doujou/GP at MOT”, The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
PUBLIC COLLECTION
- Long Museum, Shanghai, China
PUBLICATIONS
- 1992
- "What time is it now, U-ckey?", BANDAI Publications, Japan
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
- 2020 “Super Acrylic Skin-Quiet World”, ESLITE GALLERY, Taipei, Taiwan
- 2008 "Acrylic Skin / Existence’, ESLITE GALLERY, Taipei, Taiwan
- 2007 "Ultra New Visions", Hiroyuki Matsuura Solo Exhibition, ESLITE GALLERY,Taipei, Taiwan