On seeing an everyday scene, there are expressions, feelings of presence – of odd things that pop unexpectedly into one’s field of vision. Pigeons, weeds, gravel, roadside trees, balconies… and bringing in to relate with them as one joins the interaction: playing, insecurity, fear…
Hiroshi Mizuta is a graduate of Kyoto City University of Arts Graduate School. Recently, he has been showered with attention due to his remarkable handling of oil pigments and his improvisations with color, producing paintings that faithfully express their subjects even as they convey a super-real physicality.
Now, for the first time, this emerging young artist will be holding a solo exhibition at Artcourt Gallery. Continuing from his appearance at Art Osaka 2008, this exhibition will feature the latest works in his series of flocks of pigeons – dubious dwellers captured from every angle imaginable, as well as new works of roadside trees and balconies. Via a display arrangement that interweaves the human-made with the natural, the viewer will be given the opportunity to experience the enjoyment of seeing these true-to-life paintings through a mysterious game of hide-and-seek. We hope you will join us in this exploration.

“There are various kinds of hide-and-seek. Hiding oneself in the shadows, assimilating to the surrounding scenery, disappearing among things that one resembles. The interesting thing is that while there are times when the creative ingenuity for hiding oneself this way is conscious, there are also times when it happens unconsciously. Through my works, I am hoping to convey that the many correct understandings, and equally many misunderstandings, that are accumulated in our daily lives are each valuable in and of themselves.”?
– Hiroshi Mizuta (from his notes for the “Hide-and-Seek” Exhibition)