Akika Kurata Paints Hidden Emotions Through Portraits of Friends
Japanese artist Akika Kurata focuses on the hidden emotions experienced by young adults aged 18 to 25 through her captivating artwork. Her creative journey begins with an inspiring thought or phrase that drives her to depict authentic emotions. Kurata meticulously examines her visual ideas, experimenting with various materials and colors to achieve the perfect representation. Her paintings prominently showcase expressive faces, eyes, and hands, often enhanced with surreal lighting and soft fabrics against a yellow-gray backdrop. Initially influenced by manga and anime in high school, her artistic passion intensified following a poignant portrait of her grandfather in 2013.
Key facts
- Akika Kurata is a Japan-based artist.
- Her paintings feature her close friends as models, aged eighteen to twenty-five.
- Kurata's creative process involves photographing friends' expressions and experimenting with materials.
- A 2013 portrait of her grandfather taught her that technical skill alone was insufficient.
- She uses a yellow-gray background and surreal light to unify her compositions.
- Kurata's interest in art began in high school, inspired by manga and anime.
- She aims to express hidden emotions and document the experiences of young adulthood.
- The article originally appeared in Hi-Fructose Issue 45, which is sold out.
Entities
Artists
- Akika Kurata
- Justin Fitzpatrick
- Jordan West
- Ed Ruscha
- Nora Keyes
- Jonathan Viner
Institutions
- Hi-Fructose
Locations
- Japan