Tokoha Matsuda

All my artistic interests lie in my curiosity to examine the ambiguous relation between my perception or experience and my own reality. In the contemporary society where a huge amount of information flies around, values are diversified, and things change at an extremely fast pace. We are often carried away by the environment and social trends, make errors in judgment, or stop thinking, and, as a result we lose sight of ourselves. I do as well. But art liberates me. Art creation is able to embody my desire to look with my own eye, to feel, to think, and to act by myself. Outer experience is said to be a reflection of inner reality. I believe that, to understand my existence, I have to face up to my experiences in the world where I live. Art is a guidance system for me to return to my primitive origins. The skin, the bones, the brains and the cells, as well as the apples on the plate and New York skylines from the rooftop – all of the subjects which I draw or paint reflect my own ambiguous existence. When drawing lines with intaglio printmaking or handling color with ink and paints on the palette, I would engage in a direct dialogue with myself rather than express something.

Title: Soaring Brains
Medium: Etching and Aquatint
Size: 20" x 16" 

Title: The Hands
Medium: Etching and Aquatint
Size: 20" x 16"

Title: Pebbles
Medium: Etching and Aquatint
Size: 18" x 21"

Title: Silvercup
Medium: Etching and Aquatint
Size: 18" x 14"

Title: Returning Home: Queens Borough Plaza
Medium: Etching and Aquatint
Size: 14" x 18"