Uraraka Matsuzawa | Contemporary Artist: Artworks & Biography

Uraraka grew up in the megalopolis of Tokyo, Japan. A studious student, she studied at the University of Kasei before attending the University of Fine Arts (Tokyo) for two years. During this training she learned and practiced various painting techniques including an ancestral Japanese technique: Nihon-Ga. \She quickly fell under the spell of this ancient process that appeared long before the introduction of oil paint in Japan. The pigments used come from natural minerals made only in Japan. The pastel colors thus created are soft. They are the subtle and complex reflection of the Japanese identity. \Uraraka uses this technique on a particular support: the Washi. This traditional Japanese handmade paper is characterized by the length of its fiber, its fineness, its flexibility and its resistance. She feels a great pride to use this ancient process. \Uraraka worked with this technique for many years before moving to France for a year. During this stay, she immersed herself in new contemporary influences. She discovered a world of materials and vivid and passionate western colors. She met French artists and visited their studios. Through their contact, she learns about their processes and points of view. She completes her technique by creating an original mix of ancestral and contemporary art. Her approach is brilliantly concretized: alliance of tradition and modernity. \The artist draws her inspiration from everyday life. During her stay in France, she regularly strolls to the florists and is nourished by an explosion of colors and scents. Flowers became one of her favorite themes. She is also inspired by moments of daily life that she transposes on canvas. \Today, Uraraka is proud to be able to expose in Europe, the traditional painting resulting from its roots.