HIROKO SAIGUSA
Artist and Fortune Teller
Born 1978 in Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Tokyo-based artist and fortune teller. Her solo exhibitions were held at ARTIFFACT Gallery (New York, 2019), G&J Gallery (Contemporary ART Korea & JAPAN Exhibition, Seoul, 2019), and Bar Foxy in Shibuya (Tokyo, 2016). The group exhibitions she participated in include: Japan Contemporaries Series 3 Stepping Into A World (Motoichi Adachi and Kyoko Sato, Gallery Max, New York, 2023), Neo-Japonism in Vienna (Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, 2019), 44th Japan Week 2019 (International Friendship Association, Athens, 2019), Creators - Artists of the Era Beyond Heisei (QUALIART, Kanazawa 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, 2019), SPECTRUM (Agora Gallery, Miami, 2018), 12th Gwangju Biennale, Boundary of Imagination (Gwangju, South Korea, 2018), SURFACES (SPACES - Palazzo Ca' Zanardi, Venice, 2018), 24th Contemporary Art Japan-Korea Exhibition (Japan-Korea Contemporary Art Association, Tokyo, 2018), Current Exhibition (National Art Center, Tokyo, 2016, 2017, 2018), Japan-China-Korea Art Exhibition (Japan-China-Korea Art Exhibition Executive Committee, Tsukuba Museum of Art, Ibaraki, 2017, 2018), ARTRATES JAPAN (Hive Gallery, Los Angeles, 2015), PARK OF THE FUTURE (Netherlands Amsterdam International Museum, 1999), and the Kobi Art League Exhibition (Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art, 1999). Her design work includes stage costumes and flyers for PLANET MAYA, commissioned by musician and yoga charisma Maya Fiennes in 2007 while in London, and founding the fashion brand HIROCO Japan in 2017. She began drawing at the age of three and was taught the Urasenke tea ceremony by his father. In 2000, graduated at the top of her class from the Visual Communication Design Department of the Toyo Institute of Art and Design. In 2003, she entered the Graphic Design Department of Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, University of the Arts London. She appeared in BS Fuji's TV program "The Night Before Brake” in 2020.
“Hiroko Saigusa's artistic technique involves a unique blend of Action Painting and Sparse Painting, drawing inspiration from American Modern Art. In Action Painting, reminiscent of Jackson Pollock's expressive style, Saigusa stands in front of the canvas and engages in extensive body movements while painting, infusing her work with dynamic energy and movement. On the other hand, in Sparse Painting, practiced by artists like Mark Rothko and Agnes Martin, she adopts a minimalist approach to create a canvas characterized by quiet sparsity and simplicity. By skillfully merging these contrasting elements of dramatic action and serene minimalism within a single artwork, Saigusa achieves a harmonious balance that results in the creation of exquisite and captivating pieces of art.”
- From Press Release, WABI SABI IN ACTION, 2024.
“I engage in a dialogue with the paint.”
BIOGRAPHY
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Born in 1978 in Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture
1993: Enrolled in Yamanashi Eiwa High School, Canada short-term stay
1996: Enrolled in Oriental Art School, Visual Communication Design 4-year program
1999: Short-term stay in Amsterdam, Netherlands
2000: Stayed in Brussels, Belgium, worked on hotel interior design
2003: Accepted into Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, Graphic Design program
2011: Enrolled in CPLC in Manhattan, New York
Started painting at the age of 3. After graduating at the top of Tokyo Art School, had intense experiences during stays in the Netherlands and Belgium.
During a stay in the UK, met Maya Fiennes and worked on stage costumes and flyer graphics.
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2016: Bar Foxy, Tokyo
2019: ARTIFFACT Gallery, New York
2019: Hiroko Saigusa solo exhibition, Seoul
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1995: Komeiren Oil Painting Exhibition, Yamanashi Prefectural Museum, Yamanashi
1997: Design Festa Vol.6, Tokyo
1999: Kyobashi Gallery, Tokyo
1999: Park of the Future, Amsterdam International Art, Amsterdam
2015: Hive Gallery, Los Angeles
2015: The Artcomplex Center, Tokyo
2016: Rectoverso Gallery, Tokyo
2016: Gen Exhibition, National Art Center, Tokyo
2016: Gen Exhibition, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo
2017: Japan-China-Korea Art Exhibition, Tsukuba Museum of Art, Ibaraki
2017: Gen Exhibition, National Art Center, Tokyo
2018: Agora Museum, New York
2018: Japan-China-Korea Art Exhibition, Tsukuba Museum of Art, Ibaraki
2018: Gen Exhibition, National Art Center, Tokyo
2018: Japan-Korea Contemporary Art Association, Tokyo
2018: SPACES – Palazzo Ca’ Zanardi, Venice
2018: 12th Gwangju Biennale, Seoul
2018: Galleria Monteoliveto, Paris
2018: SPECTRUM (Represented by Agora Museum), Miami
2019: Creators – Artists of the Era Beyond Heisei – Kanazawa 21st Century Museum, Ishikawa
2019: International Exhibition, Athens
2019: Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna
2020: WHAT CAFE POP UP SHOW with 100 ART WORKS, WHAT CAFE, Tokyo
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2006: Featured in MdN July issue
2018: Featured in Design Note, Seibundo Shinkosha
2019: Interview for New York solo exhibition featured in Design Note, Seibundo Shinkosha
2020: Close-up coverage of Hiroko Saigusa on “Break Eve” – BS Fuji
2020: Hiroko Saigusa feature on Wide News – YBS Yamanashi Broadcasting
2021: Creater’s Map interview featured on Design Note WEB version, Seibundo Shinkosha
Hiroko Saigusa, executing live painting on June 6, 2024, photo by Jake Price, courtesy of Kyoko Sato