contemporary Japanese art

Hiroko Shiina's oeuvre could be best introduced by her intricate, surreal compositions, drawn against elegant black velvet backgrounds and endowed with symbolic imagery. Captivating and enigmatic, her art reflects profound themes of eros in the context of allure of fatal romance. Shiina often incorporates the iconography of Vanitas and Memento Mori, artistic traditions that serve as reminders of the inevitability of death and the fragility of earthly pleasures. Her landscapes are populated with rapacious flame-like flowers, thorns, skulls, skeletons and fetuses. They evoke a subtle elegiac atmosphere inviting us to contemplate and admire the transience and melancholy of romantic relationships. She constructs a self-enclosed realm of refined poetics, saturated with amorous passion of frigid solitude with enticing sexual personae suspended as if in masochistic restraint. The artist delves into the infinity of her feelings, attempting to encompass the inconceivable nature of deeds and emotions. Hiroko opens a mysterious parallel reality—a Black Box—where the boundaries between the real world, memory, and dream blur. Shiina's images seem weightless, with hair flowing without wind and sounds sinking into the black velvet. We can almost hear the growth of grass, the pulsating heart of the fetus, the sound of bones turning into landscapes surrounded by the violent ecstasy of nature. She twists and bends reality, guiding viewers through the wildest excesses of her fantasy, imbued with ardor for minutiae and intricacies. Delicately depicted numerous details leading our eyes over the fleeting beauty of each moment. Shiina's art not only captivates with its aesthetic allure but also provokes thoughtful introspection, encouraging a deeper contemplation of life's transient beauty and the bittersweet poignancy of romantic fatalism. Hiroko Shiina's style was influenced by different artistic traditions among them Japanese prints of the “Floating world” and 8th-century Kusozu paintings, known for their precision in depicting even the smallest elements. Inspired by them Shiina's work showcases an extraordinary attention to detail. Each element is meticulously crafted, that contributes to a sense of reality within the unreal. For example, rendering and the motif of long, flowing female hair, which conveys smoothness, fluidity, and continuity, symbolizing growth and transformation. Shiina's drawing style is reminiscent of Byzantine mosaic techniques, where colors are applied in separate, distinct cells. She prefers a subdued color palette, creating monochromatic images where volume is conveyed through coffee stains, and chiaroscuro is nearly absent, enhancing the graphic quality of the drawings. The coffee stains enhance the sense of impermanence and melancholy, acting as a patina that lends beauty and conveys an atmosphere of solitude and loneliness. It also lends her compositions a ghostly quality that is breathtaking and easily recognizable. Her work resonates with the Symbolist artists, such as Aubrey Beardsley, who were influenced by similar sources and created elegant graphic puzzles requiring careful analysis and a keen eye for hidden meanings. Shiina's art, rich with symbolic imagery and meticulous attention to detail, invites viewers to engage deeply with her intricate visual narratives. The interplay of all enthralling elements results in a unique visual experience that reflects the complexity and nuance of her artistic vision. By blending traditional influences with her distinctive techniques, Shiina creates artworks that are both timeless and deeply personal. The artist continues to refine her technique while courageously exploring her inner self and sensuality. While at first glance they look grotesque, when addressed closer her works are surprisingly evocative in their desire to liberate the spirit and surpass everyday fears by externalizing her passions. Hiroko tries to embrace the full spectrum of human experience, inviting viewers to reconsider and overcome their own limitations in perceiving the world and themselves.