Toshimasa
The poetry of landscapes and memory. A contemporary Japanese oil painter, born in Tokyo in 1994, whose quiet landscapes hold the places he has shared with the people he loves.
Landscapes between memory and silence
Toshimasa is a contemporary Japanese artist known for poetic landscapes. Through restrained palettes and the aesthetics of ma — meaningful emptiness — his paintings overlay landscapes with memories, evoking both serenity and emotional resonance.
His work is often described as lyrical and serene, sitting between abstraction and figuration, close to lyrical abstraction and modern interpretations of Impressionism. For those seeking art that brings calm, intimacy, and a poetic atmosphere into a home or workplace, his paintings are a natural choice.
Biography
Born in Tokyo in 1994, Toshimasa began his artistic journey in 2014 at OCHABI Art College. Hoping to study character design and painting fundamentals, he found the curriculum focused on design for social issues. A professor from Tokyo University of the Arts gave him simple advice: visit an art museum.
At the National Museum of Western Art he encountered Impressionist painting for the first time, and Monet's Water Lilies left a lasting impression — a freedom of expression unconcerned with realism, and the layered texture of oil paint. He bought a full set of oil paints the next day.
In 2018 he transferred to the Department of Painting at Musashino Art University, where daily critiques were so demanding he came to dread painting. Looking back, he values that time: "Even the professors couldn't agree on their evaluations. Realizing that opinions varied even among experts helped me let go of expectations from others." He graduated in 2021 and has since specialised in landscape painting, earning recognition in a range of exhibitions.
Beyond realism
Toshimasa paints landscapes for their "ease and flexibility." "A painting will always differ from the real subject. With landscapes, you can reposition a tree without any problem."
Every work depicts a place he has experienced himself. He neither sketches nor traces photographs, using them only to compare the real scene with his memory. He does not steer the viewer's eye or exaggerate for drama — "I'm not drawn to overly theatrical paintings" — favouring subtlety over spectacle.
These landscapes carry memories of the people he shared them with; he has never painted a scene he saw alone. Seasonal works such as Cooling Off in Summer, Walking with You in Autumn, First Snow, and First Spring come from moments with family. The series HIRAETH, inspired by Karuizawa Lake Garden in Nagano, takes its name from a Welsh word for longing for a place that can no longer be returned to.
He often returns to the same places: because he feels he has not yet painted them perfectly, because the same place feels different depending on when and with whom he visits, and because its meaning changes with time. "Just after a visit, I might feel, 'That was beautiful and fun.' As time passes, nostalgia adds another layer, leading to a different painting."
Technique and Impressionist roots
He typically completes a painting with just three or four brushes, keeping a consistent touch across his work. He values the materiality of oil paint — in Autumn Trail, paint applied directly with a knife gives the surface a dramatic presence. He also experiments: the WABISABI series uses many brushes and layers for a more realistic texture, and works such as First Snow are made with acrylic on paper.
"Monet's work often makes me wonder, 'Was he really trying to paint water lilies?' His brushwork is so free. I try to keep that sense of freedom in my own work. My original goal has always been to create paintings that are enjoyable both to look at and to create."
Paintings to live with
Simplicity, tranquility, and sincerity define Toshimasa's work. His honest, unembellished landscapes create a calm, harmonious atmosphere — the kind of painting a family can talk about over dinner, turning an everyday room into part of the artwork.
"I want to paint what I love and leave my memories. It feels similar to keeping a diary. And I want to share those memories with viewers, offering them a chance to see landscapes through my eyes."
Selected works
- HIRAETH – A Memorable Street
- Spring Sunlight and the Fallen Cherry Tree
- Light of Fresh Greenery
- HIRAETH – Water Lilies V
- Jewel of the North
- Impression – Foggy Scenery at Utsukushigahara
- HIRAETH – Water Lilies
- Summer at Chatsubomigoke Park – At the Antlion Pit
- Your Back
- The Third Dawn