Imura Art Gallery Kyoto is pleased to announce the opening of a solo exhibition of Toru Kamiya.

Born in 1969, Kamiya graduated from the Graduate School of Fine Arts of the Tokyo University of the Arts with specialization in oil paintings. Then, he spent some time in Dublin with the Government of Ireland International Scholarship. Since then, he entered two exhibitions in Dublin as an artist in residence. He also spent time at TrAIN (Research Centre for Transitional Art, Identity and Nation) of the University of the Arts London as a member of overseas training dispatched by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport, Science and Technology, and collaborated with a renowned musician, David Sylvian. In recent years, he has been asked to create public arts to be displayed in the offices, public buildings, schools and train stations. Presently, he is continuing his pursuit for artistic creation while serving as an associate professor at the Kyoto University of Arts and Design.

Kamiya's oil paintings that depict concrete images from daily scenes are not simple reproductions of the actual landscapes. They are realistic but created with strong focus on the expressions of colors, lights and shadows. Consequently, the depth and transparency that these works project creates a unique world view in Kamiya's arts.

For this exhibition, he uses green as the keynote color for many of his works. There is a piece that is colored in different shades of green encompassing both the natural and unnatural elements in it, and also a piece that appears blurred. These works can trap the audience in a mystifying world depending on the distance and angle of viewing.

Although Kamiya's art works seem serene and quiet at a first glance, he comments on his creative intent by saying, "I am not trying to draw paintings that explains something. I simply want to paint. The most important thing for me is to question what a painting is. My work needs to be a painting rather than a media that transmits certain images or meanings."

Kamiya's creative attitude to pursue something more important than themes or philosophical concepts associated with his paintings, can be observed in the gradation series that he has continuously been working on. Kamiya has created a unique painting tool of his own by connecting brushes. This tool allows him to create his work with a subtle balance of planned design and uncontrollable contingency supported by his excellent technique of expression. While accumulating creative experiences, Kamiya aspires to complete his own style of painting.

At "A" which is Kamiya's first solo exhibition in Kyoto, you can enjoy a variety of art works Kamiya has created. We hope you can visit the exhibition and enjoy Toru Kamiya's world of art.

*image (left)
Toru Kamiya
gap, 2013
oil on panel, cotton, 75×76 cm
courtesy of the artist and Imura Art Gallery