Mitomo Horihiro’s
(formally Hiroshi Hirakawa) contemporary representations of the classic
world of ukiyo-e speak of the ghosts of an era that, though long past,
still resonate deeply today; influencing and inspiring current culture.
As a tattooer, Horihiro is immersed in a space that was and is at the
heart of ukiyo-e. In fact its is difficult to mention one without the
other. The relation between woodblock carvers, tattooers, painters,
kabuki actors, geisha, etc. all intertwined to form the pictures of the
floating world.
It could be said then that Horihiro is reflecting the world in which he
is immersed, albeit with a lens that is extremely sensitive. He plays
with myth in multiple dimensions; displaying a rare ability to transcend
centuries within his imagery.
"When an artist as prodigiously talented as
Chris Conn Askew* tells me that I’ve got to check out an artist, I don’t
hesitate … especially when he tells me, “he’s been on fire lately!” I
couldn’t agree more. Hiroshi Hirakawa has that rare and delicious
combination of ferocious talent, tempered by a deep appreciation of
historical techniques and precedent. Ukiyo-e or “pictures of the
floating world” is a traditional form of Japanese painting and
printmaking whose subject matter reflects a deep appreciation of earthly
beauty, coupled with an acknowledgment of it’s transience. Hirakawa’s
paintings, with their frequent allusions to mortality seem to fit into
this genre – or at least to represent a vividly contemporary
re-imagining of it. In addition to his epic allegorical works, there is
also enough cephalopod love, tattooed odalisques, oblique geishas, and
dissolute rapture to enchant and mystify even the most discerning
viewer."
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