Biography

Tomoko Hokyo

Painter

1984: Born in Chiba, JP
2007: Graduated with a BA in Fine Arts Majoring in Japanese Painting, Joshibi
University of Art and Design
Currently based in London, UK

The work of Tomoko Hokyo visualizes the nature that emerges through both eternal time and life time in a semi-abstract form. Her work expresses the timeline of past-present-future, approaching the internal perceptions of nature that each viewer has built into different environments.

Hokyo has always drawn and painted since childhood. The act of drawing is an essential element of her daily life, almost a proof of existence. As with painting, delving into nature, history, and traditional culture has occupied an important place in her life since youth. For Hokyo, touching nature and history is a crucial starting point for understanding how they connect with her. She majored in Japanese painting at university, graduating in 2007, and from then continued to produce and exhibit work with the theme of the gradual disappearance of Japanese seasons, using traditional methods.

In 2013, Hokyo relocated to Kazakhstan and based herself there for 5 years. She was greatly influenced by culture and religion distinct from those of Japan, and by her experience of being a foreigner in a different country – the first such experience for her. This led to introspection about the inner perception of nature, for herself and for other people. This inner view of nature refers to behavior that has been consciously cultivated to the present day, like traditions and customs, and the unconscious emotions and aesthetics that each person acquires from the environment in which they are born and raised. Hokyo’s experience in Kazakhstan provided the trigger for her to grasp the inner perception of nature objectively. She decided to produce work exploring the balance between visual information and other phenomena that are not visible, making a major shift in her expression from figurative to semi-abstract. She is reconstructing traces of all forms of time, residing in strata, shells, crystals, annual rings, and minerals, by layering them with traces of her own time.

As one of these traces of individual time, she has incorporated the inherited behavior of ancestor craftsmen – from her own roots. This is a method of moving paintbrushes between actions in her subconscious and what has been acquired through the culture she was born and raised in, visualizing it in the accumulation of lines. The material she uses includes Cloisonné enamel, which is another element from her roots. The metal and glass that form this enamel were materials used by gunsmith ancestors on her mother’s side, as well as her grandfather who was a glassmaker – expressing the trace of time from her ancestors to the present day. The fact that Cloisonné enamel travels to Japan on the Silk Road through Kazakhstan seems to further bind history and her past.
The majority of Hokyo’s work is painting with mixed media, including Cloisonné enamel and acrylic paints, or pencil drawing. She regards the material in her work as very important, and also incorporates her experience of studying Japanese painting.

She is currently based in the UK, and is producing art while experiencing a different view of the environment around her past. In her creation she explores the presence and time of all nature and life.

Exhibitions / Awards

Solo Exhibitions

2009 First Solo Exhibition　(Gekkoso Gallery in Ginza, Tokyo)
2012 Solo Exhibition “Kachoga -SAKURA-” (Dorado Gallery, Tokyo)
2013 Solo Exhibition “Kochiikusei” (Yorozu Gallery, Tokyo)
2013 Solo Exhibition “Lifes in Asia” (Isetan Urawa)
2013 Solo Exhibition “Traditional Beauty” (Mitsukoshi Ginza,Tokyo)
2014 Solo Exhibition “Japanese paitings which bridge Janan and Central Asia” (Himawari Grallery of Chiba Bank in COREDO Muromachi 3,Tokyo)
2014 Solo Exhibition (The Museum of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan,Kazakhstan)
2015 Solo Exhibition at Japanese Festival in Almaty (Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty, Kazakhstan)
2016 Solo Exhibition “Shinka” (Art Fair Tokyo)
2016 Solo Exhibition “Destination of Pain/Sadness Breeding”(Renaissance Atyrau Hotel, the Republic of Kazakhstan)
2017 Solo Exhibition “Loves and Girls” (Mitsukoshi Ginza, Tokyo)
2017 Solo Exhibition “The Secret Garden” (Yorozu Galler, Tokyo)
2019 Solo Exhibition “The world of I and Space and Plants” (Mitsukoshi Ginza, Tokyo)
2022 Solo Exhibition “Traces of Time” (Himawari Grallery of Chiba Bank in COREDO Muromachi 3,Tokyo)
2022 Solo Exhibition “Traces of Time” (Hiltopia Art Square, Tokyo)
2023 Solo Exhibition “Traces of Time” (Isetan Shinjuku, Tokyo)

Exhibitions in past

2008 Group Exhibition by Mameko Endo and Tomoko Hokyo (Gekkousou Ginza, Tokyo)
2008 Group Exhibition “WOMEN Painting”by Japanese painting department of Joshibi University (J-trip art gallary in Ginza, Tokyo)
2008 Group Exhibition “Yubi 2008″by students and graduated students from art universities (Japan at Tower Hall, Funabori in Funabori, Tokyo)
2010 Group Exhibition “Yubi 2010″by students and graduated students from art universities (Japan at Tower Hall, Funabori in Funabori, Tokyo)
2010 Group Exhibition “Exhibition of Art Imagination”(NHK gallary, in Shibuya, Tokyo)
2011 Group Exhibition “Exhibition of Light” (Ginza Gionishi, in Ginza, Tokyo)
2011 Group Exhibition (DORADO GALLARY in Waseda, Tokyo)
2011 Charity Exhibition for Great East Japan Earthquake (Art complex Center, in Shinjuku, Tokyo)
2011 Charity Exhibition for Great East Japan Earthquake (Art complex Center, in Yokohama, Tokyo)
2011 Charity Exhibition for Great East Japan Earthquake “THANK YOU Exhibition” (DORADO GALLARY in Waseda, Tokyo)
2011 Group Exhibition by graduated students from Joshibi university of art and design ( Art complex Center, in Shinjuku, Tokyo)
2011 Group Exhibition “Yubi 2011″by students and graduated students from art universities in Japan (Tower Hall Funabori in Funabori, Tokyo)
2011 Group Exhibition “Hyakka Ryoran” (Art complex Center, in Shinjuku, Tokyo)
2011 Duo Exhibition “Sangaten” (Ginza Ougiya, in Ginza, Tokyo)
2011 Group Exhibition “Art Festival” (Toront)
2011 Group Exhibition “Young Japanese Artists in 2011” (New York)
2012 Duo Exhibition “Sangaten” (Ginza Gekkousou, in Ginza, Tokyo)
2012 Group Exhibition “El debutante URAWA in 2012” (Isetan Urawa, Saitama)
2012 Group Exhibition “Women artists selected by Fuyuhiko Yamamoto” (Mitsukoshi Ginza, Tokyo)
2012 Group Exhibition “Adesugata” (Gallary Shorewood in Aoyama, Tokyo)
2012 Art Fair “URUTORA 005” (Spiral Garden in Aoyama, Tokyo)
2013 Group Exhibition “Shunshouikkoku” (Gallary Uehara in Yoyogi, Tokyo)
2014 Group Exhibition “Hanayagi no iro” (Isetan Shinjuku, Tokyo)
2014 Duo Exhibition “Sangaten (2nd)” ( Gallary Shorewood in Aoyama, Tokyo)
2014 Duo Exhibition “Sangaten (2nd)” ( Gyouganji in Isumi, Chiba)
2015 Duo Exhibition “Hanayagi no Iro” (Isetan Shinjuku, Tokyo)
2015 Group Exhibition at 100th aniversary of foundation of Joshibi junior/high school of art and design (Ueno Royal Museum in Ueno, Tokyo)
2016 Group Exhibition “New Year Japanese Painting Exhibition” (Art complex Center, in Shinjyuku,Tokyo)
2016 Grouo Exhibition “Seiseikai” (Tkashimaya Yokohama, Kyoto, Osaka)
2017 Grouo Exhibition “Seiseikai” (Tkashimaya Yokohama, Kyoto, Osak)
2017 Grouo Exhibition “Break Zenya” (Bunkamura Gallery, Shibuya, Tokyo)
2018 Grouo Exhibition “Seiseikai” (Tkashimaya Yokohama, Kyoto, Osak)
2018 Grouo Exhibition (Mitukoshi Nihonbashi, Tokyo)
2018 Duo Exhibition “LIVES” (Isetan Shinjyuku, Tokyo)
2018 Christmas Art session (Takashimaya Yokohama)
2019 Group Exhibition “Bijinga Zukushi 2nd” A book launch Exhibition (Art Morimoto Gallery in Ginza, Tokyo)
2019 Art Expo Malaysia
2020 Group Exhibition “BREAK ZENYA -Selection by Tomio Koyama-”(Hillside Terrace ,Tokyo)
2020 Group Exhibition “The Girl” (Ginza Mitsukoshi, Tokyo)
2021 Group Exhibition (BIOME Gallery, Kobe)
2023 ART MARKET TENNOZ 2023 (WHAT CAFE, Tokyo)

Awards

2007 “Kato Nariyuki Memorial Award” as valedictorian of Joshibi university of art and design (Japanese painting department)
2009 Award in exhibition by Tokyo art center
2010 “Painting selected by musicians award” in exhibition by Dorado International Artists Associations
2011 “Sakura Award”in 22nd Garyusakura Japanese Painting Exhibision
2016 The 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl accident, the 2017 Astana Expo Memorial “Internal Artist Competition” 3rd place

Workshop

2013 Workshop of Japanese painting for Children/Adults (Aoyama Gakuin University,Tokyo)
2014 Workshop of Japanese painting (Japan Center in Astana, Kazakhstan)
2014 Workshop of Japanese painting (The museum of the first president of the republic of Kazakhstan in Astana, Kazakhstan)
2015 Workshop of Japanese painting (Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Almaty, Kazakhstan)

Media

2012 Weekly Post issued on 22nd of June
2014 Shinronavi (as alumna of Joshibi university of art and design)
2013 Asahi Newspaper issued on 14th of August
2014 Tokyo Newspaper issued on 29th of March
2013 Mainichi Newspaper issued on 9th of August
2014 Chiba Nippo issued on 4th of April
2013 Saitama Newspaper issued on 26th of August
2013 Tokyo Newspaper issued on 26th of December
2014 Mainichi Newspaper issued on 23rd of January
2014 Chiba Television
2014 Kazakhstan Television
2013 Art Collectors (January, 2014), issued on 25th of December
2015 Sankei Newspaper issued on 21st of May
2015 Tokyo Newspaper issued on 22nd of May
2015 Cool Japan (Web site, Spain)
2015 “Let’s take a look at word school” (Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs website)
2016 Magazine interview (JICA)
2016 FM Yokohama “Next artlogue” (Radio)
2016 BS Fuji “Break Zenya” (TV)
2018 Fuji Television “1H sense” (TV)
2018 Nippon Broadcasting System “Entertainment Next” (Radio)
2019 FM Yokohama “Future Scape” (Radio)
2019 J-WABE “J-WAVE Tokyo Morning Radio” (Radio)
2020 bayfm “MOTIVE!!” (Radio)

Public Collections

(titles omitted)
The Chiba Bank Ltd.
The museum of the first president of the republic of Kazakhstan in Astana(Nur-Sultan)
Mate-Care Co., Ltd.
Other individuals

Other Works

2015 Front Cover of Chiba Bank’s Yearly Calender
2016 Book-Cover Design of Akihiko Nakamura, Shippu ni Orenu Hana Ari (The Flower was not Broken by Strong Winds) (Book Designer: Nobuyoshi Kikuchi) PHP Institute
2017 Executed Seventeen Ceiling Paintings out of One hundred sixty of Kyakuden (reception hall) in Shoujuin Temple, Ujitawara town, Kyoto