Hiroshi Mori: More of Transformation than Parody

Hiroshi Mori’s recent artworks are an extension of Simulation Art and

Appropriation Art of 1980’s that amalgamates and recontextualizes characters

from Japanese animé (animation videos) and scenes from European classical

religious paintings.

The outcome may look like jocular parodies teasing the seriousness of

authorities in art and spiritual worlds.

The pieces of images composing Mori’s paintings are not “original” in

and of themselves, therefore people who see them may have a sense of déjà vu.

On the other hand, the techniques and materials supporting his production are

different from the conventional ones, which again is meant to be his expression

of irony towards the establishment.

Hiroshi Mori, born in 1977, is an ambitious artist. He graduated from

Tokai University, Tokyo in 2000, majoring fine arts. After some interval, he

decides to study various painting methods, both western and oriental,

contemporary and traditional, at Tokyo University of the Arts, and obtains his

master’s degree in 2013.

Indulged in remix of animé and classical paintings, Mori steadily teases

authorities of art in Japan and in religious world.

Mori asks himself what “originality” is. Apparently, images cannot be

original, whereas use of techniques and materials can be original.

Many artists tend to rely on conventional materials and techniques to

depict something contemporary. Mori’s art tries, in the opposite direction,

to apply modern materials and techniques to transform classical motifs into

an utterly new context.

Personal History

1977 Born in Tokyo, Japan

Education

2013 M.F.A – Oil painting ,Tokyo University of the Arts

2000 Fine Arts Department of the School of Humanities and Culture, Tokai

University

Statement

If I were to say what distinguishes Japanese painting, I would say, “The beauty of

space, ma, and the attraction of ‘flatness.’ ” I try to develop traditional Japanese

methods and styles not as a form of historical quotation, but as a mode of

expression. I am always preoccupied with the challenges of adapting traditional

Japanese technique for contemporary art practice. I create paintings like that

remind one of the gold screen paintings of the Rinpa school, but instead of gold

foil, I use industrial-grade spray paint, the method of which I learned while

working in car detailing. The result: paintings that look different from Rinpa

screens but may or may not be more enduring than gold foil. I am also interested

in Ito Jakuchu’s paintings of gamecocks. I feel that these animals and plants are

anthropomorphized, and it is unclear if they are a microcosm of human affairs, or

if the world of humans is a microcosm of the plant and animal worlds. In the

uncertainty between the two modes of representation, I use all manner of

phenomena as motifs in my own work. Of course, what I call “phenomena” are

the banal experiences and the forgettable sceneries of my childhood, which I paint

and recall on the canvas. Given concrete form, these images embody for me the

murkiness, insecurity but also hope for the future in contemporary society. In my

daily life, I seek a way to join the irreconcilable: the flat surfaces of Rinpa

paintings and the wonder of children’s books.

Solo Exhibitions

2016 « Reanimation – Hiroshi Mori Solo Exhibition » Akutsu Gallery, Gunma,

Japan.

2016 « LA ART SHOW 2016″ Los Angeles Convention center, Los Angeles, CA,

United States of America.

2015 « LA ART SHOW 2015″ Los Angeles Convention center, Los Angeles, CA,

United States of America.

2014 « Oh My Goodness! – Hiroshi Mori Solo Exhibition » Kinosho Kikaku, Tokyo,

Japan.

2013 Glimmering Light ” (Art Experience Gallery, Hong Kong)

2011 Hiroshi Mori Solo Exhibition (Shonandai MY Gallery, Tokyo)

2010 Hiroshi Mori Solo Exhibition (Kinosho Kikaku, Tokyo)

Group Exhibitions

2016 « POPCON ASIA 2016″ Jakarta Convention Center, Jakarta, Indonesia.

2016 « SPRING SHOW » Gallery Tsubaki, Tokyo, Japan.

2016 « Akiyama Collection » Akutsu Gallery, Gunma, Japan.

2016 « Group Show » MITSUKOSHI – Nihonbashi, Art gallery 6th floor, Tokyo,

Japan.

2016 « Group Show » Nagai Gallery, Tokyo, Japan.

2015 « Mr.I Collection » Tomioka municipal museum of fine arts, Gunma, Japan.

2015 « Evolution » Kinosho Kikaku, Tokyo, Japan.

2015 « Neo Mythology » bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA, United States of America.

2015 « TERRADA ART AWARD 2015 WINNWES’EXHIBITION » Warehouse

TERRADA T-Art Gallery, Tokyo, Japan.

2015 « Beautiful Dream » Butchart International Contemporary Art Space, Taipei,

Taiwan.

2015 « Group Show » Leslie Jean Porter Gallery, Palm Springs, CA, United States

of America.

2014 « Shell Art Award Artist Selection 2014″ The National Art Center, Tokyo,

Japan.

2014 « Reborn » Kinosho Kikaku, Tokyo, Japan.

2014 « 10th World Painting Award Winner Exhibition » Tokyo Metropolitan Art

Museum, Tokyo, Japan.

2014 « Yamamoto Fuyuhiko Collection » Nikkei headquarters, Tokyo, Japan.

2014 « To see / To paint – Oil Painting Technique and Material Laboratory »,

Tokyo University Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan.

2014 « Mr.I Collection » Akutsu Gallery, Gunma, Japan.

2013 SHIBUYA STYLE vol.7 (SEIBU SHIBUYA HallB 8F Art Gallery Alternative

space, Tokyo)

2013 Contemporary Art Show III – The Emerging Artists (Akutsu Gallery,

Gunma)

2013 INTRO -The Young Artists Exhibition- (The Artcomplex Center of Tokyo,

Tokyo)

2013 Portrait Jam Humans, We are (Akibatamabi21,Tokyo)

2013 18th Mitsubishi Corporation Art Gate Program (Tokyo)

2013 61st Tokyo University of the Arts Graduation Works Exhibition (Tokyo

University of the Arts, Tokyo)

2013 Collection of Mr. I & Mr.W Exhibition (Akutsu Gallery, Gunma)

2012 Double Rainbow –Hiroshi Mori & Louise Lee- (Art Experience Gallery, Hong

Kong)

2012 Contemporary Art Exhibition II Artists of New Expression (Akutsu Gallery,

Gunma)

2012 17th Mitsubishi Corporation Art Gate Program (Tokyo)

2012 TAGBOAT AWARD Winners Exhibition (AKI Gallery, Taipei)

2012 7th TAGBOAT AWARD (Setagaya IID Gallery, Tokyo)

2012 Gallery Tsubaki -SPRING FAIR- (Gallery Tsubaki, Tokyo)

2011 SHORT+SHORT (Tokyo National University of Arts, Tokyo)

2011 Shell Art Award 2011 (Daikanyama Hill Side Forum, Tokyo)

2011 Tripod to play (Gallery Shiramizu Art, Tokyo)

2011 4th Article Award Winner Exhibition (Turner Gallery, Tokyo)

2011 Next Art (Asahishinbun Headquarters and Matsuya Ginza, Tokyo)

2011 Resonance Effect (KINOSHO KIKAKU, Tokyo)

2010 GEISAI TAIWAN#2 (Huashan Creative Park, Taipei)

2010 Shell Art Award (Daikanyama Hill Side Forum, Tokyo)

2010 WONDER SEEDS (Tokyo Wonder Site Shibuya, Tokyo)

2010 Prologue VI (Gallery Art Point, Tokyo)

2010 The 28th Ueno Royal Museum Grand Prize Exhibition (Ueno Royal Museum,

Tokyo)

2009 Shell Art Award (Daikanyama Hill Side Forum, Tokyo)

Art fairs

2016 « ART FAIR TOKYO 2016″ Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo, Japan.

2016 « Young Art Taipei 2016″ Sheraton Taipei Hotel, Taipei, Taiwan.

2016 « LA ART SHOW 2016″ Los Angeles Convention center, Los Angeles, CA,

United States of America.

2015 « the art fair plus ultra 2015″ Spiral Garden, Tokyo, Japan.

2015 « ART KAOHSIUNG 2015″ THE PIER-2 ART CENTER, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

2015 « New City Art Fair » Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, Taipei, Taiwan.

2015 « Daegu Art Fair 2015″ EXCO, Daegu, Korea.

2015 « KIAF2015 / ART SEOUL » Coex Hall A&B, Seoul, Korea.

2015 « ART FAIR ASIA FUKUOKA 2015″ Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel, Fukuoka, Japan.

2015 « AHAF SEOUL 2015″ CONRAD SEOUL, Seoul, Korea.

2015 « Objects of Art Santa Fe 2015″ El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe, NM, United

States of America.

2015 « ART TAICHUNG 2015″ Millennium Vee Hotel, Taichung, Taiwan.

2015 « ASYAAF 2015″ Culture Station Seoul 284, Seoul, Korea.

2015 « ART BUSAN 2015″ BEXCO Exhibition Center II, Busan, Korea.

2015 « Young Art Taipei 2015″ Sheraton Taipei Hotel, Taipei, Taiwan.

2015 « Infinity Japan 2015 Contemporary Art Show » Shing Kong Mitsukoshi,

Taichung, Taiwan.

2015 « AHAF HK 2015″ Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel, Hong Kong, China.

2015 « LA ART SHOW 2015″ Los Angeles Convention center, Los Angeles, CA,

United States of America.

2014 « Bank Art Fair 2014″ Singpore Pan Pacific Hotel, Singpore

2014 « Art Taipei 2014″ Taipei World Trade Center Hall 1, Taipei, Taiwan.

2014 « AHAF SEOUL 2014″ Lotte Hotel Seoul, Seoul, Korea.

2014 « Young Art Taipei 2014″ Regent Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan.

2014 « Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong 2014″ Hong Kong Convention and

Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong, China.

2013 « Asia Contemporary Art Show 2013″ JW Marriott Hotel, Hong Kong, China.

2013 « Hong Kong Contemporary 13″ The Excelsior, Hong Kong, China.

2012 « Art Taipei 2012″ Taipei World Trade Center Hall 1, Taipei, Taiwan.

2012 « ART OSAKA 2012″ Hotel Granvia Osaka, Osaka, Japan.

2012 « Young Art Taipei 2012″ Sheraton Taipei Hotel, Taipei, Taiwan.

2012 « Art Revolution Taipei 2012″ Taipei World Trade Center Hall 2, Taipei,

Taiwan.

2011 « KIAF/11″ Coex Hall A&B, Seoul, Korea.

2011 « art:gwangju:11 (DDA: Asia New Arrival) » KDJ Convention Centre,

Gwangju, Korea.

2011 « AHAF SEOUL 2011″ Grand Hyatt Seoul, Seoul, Korea.

2011 « ASYAAF 2011″ Hongik Museum of Art, Hongik University, Seoul, Korea.

2011 « Art Fair Kyoto 2011″ Hotel Monterey, Kyoto, Japan.

2011 « Young Art Taipei 2011″ Sunworld Dynasty Hotel, Taipei, Taiwan.

Awards

2015 « TERRADA ART AWARD 2015″, « Excellent Prize, YAMAGUCHI Yumi Prize »

2014 « Shell Art Award Artist Selection (SAS) 2014″

2012 27th Holbein Scholarship recipient

2012 7th TAGBOAT AWARD Shigeo Goto Prize

2011 Young Art Award 2011 Finalist

2010 Shell Art Award Kunio Motoe Encouragement Prize