Meguro-ku media “GOUGAI NET Meguro-ku” wrote an article about me!
【目黒区】会社員からソーシャルネットワークアーティストへ・松岡智子さんの個展「Tomoko Matsuoka 2021 Paris 」が12/8（水）から区民ギャラリーで開催
When I visited Paris for the Salon Art Shopping Paris art fair in France, I exhibited the artworks I completed during my stay at the Meguro Museum of Art’s residents’ gallery.
The crowdfunding campaign that we launched to exhibit at this art event at the Louvre reached its goal in just three days, and in a short period of one month, 172 people supported us with 252% of our goal, or over 3 million yen.
This solo exhibition was an opportunity for more people to experience the work of Tomoko Matsuoka, including the unveiling of her work to those who supported her through crowdfunding.
Live painting that inspired me to paint.
Matsuoka first drew pictures when she was in kindergarten. She loved to draw her favorite creatures with colors.
However, she had a problem that when he concentrated, she couldn’t see what was going on around her and on the contrary, she became distracted.
She thought it would be difficult to make a living from art, so she kept her interest in art to herself until around 2019.
It was a request from an acquaintance to draw a picture to represent an athlete that made Matsuoka step into the world of art again.
In 2020, she did her first live painting at an event for 1,000 people.
Since then, requests for live painting have been pouring in one after another. Matsuoka has done live painting in a variety of environments, including Toranomon Hills, the Yoro Forest owned by author Takeshi Yoro.
Matsuoka herself was able to feel the emotion that shook her soul and also experienced the joy of connecting with others through the power of art.
However, due to the effects of the new coronavirus, it became difficult for her to perform in front of a large audience.
Even with the Corona disaster, never gave up on expressing myself
As events were cancelled one after another due to the Corona disaster, I spent my days trying to figure out how I could continue my artistic activities. At that time, I received a call from a friend who told me that she had used one of my past paintings as a background for her ZOOM and that it was very popular.
She started the “ZOOM Background Painting Project” to complete an abstract painting of the person while talking with them through ZOOM. This initiative drew attention as a “new artistic expression in the rapid expansion of online meetings,” and we ended up painting backgrounds for about 100 people.
The project was widely covered by TV and newspapers, and was broadcasted on SNS.
Invited to participate in Salon Art Shopping Paris, a leading art fair in France
It was during this time that I was invited to participate in the Salon Art Shopping Paris, a French art fair held at the Louvre.
While I was very happy to be invited after only half a year of working as an artist, I was worried about the high cost of exhibiting. Including the cost of travel, accommodation, and local activities, I needed to raise over 1.2 million yen.
However, inspired by the courage and inspiration she would bring to the people around her by exhibiting, she decided to raise support through crowdfunding. As a result, she was able to achieve her goal and successfully exhibit her work.
Live painting at the Eiffel Tower and the Château de Champol four times
Prior to the start of the “Salon Art Shopping Paris,” the participants worked on their artworks amidst some of the most beautiful scenery in France, including the Eiffel Tower, Chambord Castle, and Saint-Louis Bridge.
Pianist Naoyuki Chikaya and cameraman Mizumi Nakajima accompanied the group. A live piano performance was held during the production, and the entire event was broadcast live.
This was an expression of Matsuoka’s art style as a “social network artist” who believes in involving not only himself, but also all those who are not present at the time, in the creation of her works.
One of Matsuoka’s specialties is to draw pictures with large actions and finish the art at a furious pace. When he held a guerrilla art live painting session in the square where you can see the Eiffel Tower, about 100 passersby stopped to watch. At the Saint-Louis Bridge, the bridge was temporarily closed to traffic.
Held a solo exhibition at the Meguro Museum of Art
Tomoko Matsuoka’s solo exhibition “Tomoko Matsuoka 2021 Paris – ‘Carrousel du Louvre Debriefing'” was held at the Meguro Museum of Art, Kumin Gallery.
At the exhibition, four new works and some painted apparel, which were completed through a live performance during her stay in France, were presented for the first time in Japan.
Starting with this solo exhibition at the Kumin Gallery of the Meguro Museum of Art, Matsuoka is scheduled to exhibit in Ginza, Nihonbashi, and Thailand.
Please take this opportunity to experience Matsuoka’s passionate artworks!