Hiroya Kurata Transforms his Memories into Playful Tales

A couple kissing passionately, a woman smoking by a window, pensive, two friends immortalising an evening… Hiroya Kurata‘s paintings sublimate the ordinary. Characterised by bright colours and a certain sense of lightness, his creations freeze spontaneous moments like a snapshot.

The Japanese artist, born in 1980, now lives in New York with his wife and children. After having spent several years drawing, he ultimately replaced his pencils with paintbrushes. ‘By chance, the job I have been doing for ten years now involves restoring paintings in a studio. Being in contact with pictorial artwork for such a long time made me more sensitive to the art, and encouraged me to produce my own paintings’, he explains.

Strange and amusing tales

The strength of memory is what guides Hiroya Kurata. It’s an intimate, familiar memory that encourages us to relive warm moments, or special scenes from everyday life. The artist likes to deconstruct these strong images and transform them into fun scenes. ‘I almost always start by making sketches, which I’m then eager to paint. My creations often address the same subjects and themes, but these are not the most important elements: I prefer for the viewer to retain the cynical, humorous aspect of my work’, he states.

What is this woman smoking a cigarette thinking about that makes her look so surprised? Are these embracing lovers really in love? By playing with facial expressions, the colours of the landscapes, and the codes of seduction, the painter invents strange, amusing tales and invites the viewer to do the same. Sometimes, however, Hiroya Kurata’s pieces become sensitive and touching. In When mother was young, the artist’s first solo show, held at the American gallery Over the Influence in October 2020, the notions of family, filial love, and childhood were dominant.

Hiroya Kurata’s work can be found on his website.