White Scene 10P (53 x 40.9cm) Written by Nobutoshi Masuda
The color of the walls, the small stains and scratches, the various sized white bottles and two seashells, the playful undulations of the string and the shadows reflected on the table. Beautiful no matter which way you look at it. Its beauty is surrounded by tranquility and a sacred atmosphere. There is no bitter coldness, and it seems as if a comfortable warmth is exuding out.
The soft shadows cast on the table emphasize the tranquility.
Seashells symbolize the beauty and mystery of nature, and they come in a variety of shapes and colors, and are delicately arranged. These shells look like past adventures or treasures lifted from the ocean floor and tell stories.
The overall impression is quiet and reflective. This painting can be said to be a work that finds beauty and peace in silence and reminds us of the richness and depth of everyday life.
“Even if tomorrow the world were to end, today I would plant an apple tree.” (Martin Luther)
Why are Nobutoshi Masuda's paintings so realistic? Isn't it because he is a painter who captures the truth? God the Spirit is omnipresent, and the truth resides in the details. He is a painter who sees the sacred in everyday things, things that are casually commonplace.
``Continuing to draw sacred objects...that is my job.
One morning, as I sat alone in my dimly lit studio, the objects placed next to the window began to seem as if they had existed there, silently and deeply, since time immemorial. It was a moment that moved me to see things speak to me across time, and made me reconsider how I look at things and express myself. ”
These are Masuda's words. The world of Shigekichi Yagi's poetry comes to mind. He was also a Christian who prayed quietly.
This is the work of a quiet and small-time artist who turns his back on the established art world and paints everyday sacred objects while enjoying fishing in his hometown of Fukuoka Prefecture.
1947 : Born in Kanda-cho , Fukuoka Prefecture / 1965 : Solo exhibition at Ginza Yumedo Gallery (studied under Natsuyuki Nakanishi) / 1966 : Selected for the Nika Exhibition for the first time , and has been selected 10 times since then / 1984 : Solo exhibition at Kurosaki Sogo , Kitakyushu / 1991 : Solo exhibition at Ginza Chuo Gallery / 1992 : Selected for the West Japan Art Exhibition / 1997 : Solo exhibition at Ginza Gallery Shimizu / 2002: Solo exhibition at Ginza Kozaido Gallery / 2006 : Solo exhibition at Yukuhashi City Red Brick Hall (Prefectural Important Cultural Property) / 2008 : Solo exhibition at Ginza Rose Gallery / 2011 : Exhibited at the Realistic Nine Artists Exhibition at Fukuoka Nichido Gallery
2000 : Cover illustration for “The Last Supper of the Dead and the Living” by Takao Yamagata (Asahi Shimbun ) / 2001 : Cover illustration for “Mariko” (Chukou Bunko) by Shizuko Natsuki / 2003 : “Modern Painting” ( Asahi Artist Publishing) / 2006 : Broadcast on NHK Kitakyushu Broadcasting “ Memory Promenade” as a painter who masters realism / 2007 : In charge of the cover illustration for “Washbasin Music” by Osamu Fujitani (Shueisha) / 2011 : Exhibited at Fukuoka Nichido Gallery Nine Realists Exhibition
●Currently active as an independent