ARTIST

Hiroto Tomonaga

Hiroto Tomonaga captures transitory moments in which things he is looking at ever so briefly appear to him as something else, and strives to render this in painting. He plays with shifts in perception, the way vision alternates between foreground and background, or interprets one thing as another, all of which is similarly echoed in the repetitive back and forth in his layering, removing, and mark making with paint. In this way, the changes that occur before his eyes gradually translate into paint on the canvas, becoming fixed on the surface. Working with subject matter close to himself, this process is a means for Tomonaga to ruminate on distance and depth, both physical and emotional. While the resulting paintings are fixed, they feel as if they might resume moving once again, and express the sense of helplessness the artist himself feels regarding the world he sees before him.

Hiroto Tomonaga was born in Saga Prefecture, Japan, in 1997 and is currently based in Chiba. In 2020, he graduated from the Department of Painting at Musashino Art University, and received a Master of Fine Arts from the same institution in 2022. He has presented in solo exhibitions including “Flashing Point” (GALLERY WATER, Tokyo, 2021), “Balance” (gallery Binosha, Tokyo, 2022), “Diffuse Reflection” (Musashino Art University, Tokyo, 2023), and notable group exhibitions include “FACE2022” (SOMPO Museum, Tokyo, 2022), and “Awkward Feeling” (YOD TOKYO, 2022). In 2022 he was a finalist for FACE2022, and received a judge’s prize at Art Award Tokyo Marunouchi.

WORKS

INSTALLATION VIEW

BIOGRAPHY

1997 Born in Saga, Japan
2020 Bachelor of Painting, Musashino Art University
2022 Master of Painting, Musashino Art University

CV

Solo Exhibitions

2025 “Lightning” KOSAKU KANECHIKA, Tokyo, Japan
2024 “In the distance” KOSAKU KANECHIKA, Tokyo, Japan
2023 “Diffuse Reflection” Musashino Art University, Tokyo, Japan
“Changeable Sight” KOSAKU KANECHIKA, Tokyo, Japan
2022 “Balance” gallery Binosha, Tokyo, Japan
2021 “Flashing Point” GALLERY WATER, Tokyo, Japan

Group Exhibitions

2025 “Tokyo Gendai 58 min” Gallery & Bakery Tokyo 8 min, Tokyo, Japan
2023 “The Rules of Painting” biscuit gallery karuizawa, Karuizawa, Japan
2022 “Awkward Feeling” YOD TOKYO, Tokyo, Japan
“Utsutsu no Itoma” gallery TOWED, Tokyo, Japan
“CHANGTING GALLERY PRIZE 2022” CHANGTING GALLERY, Tokyo, Japan
“FACE2022” SOMPO Museum, Tokyo, Japan
“Musashino Art University Graduation Exhibition 2021” Musashino Art University, Tokyo, Japan
“Expression” CHANGTING GALLERY, Tokyo, Japan
2020 “YOUNG ARTIST EXHIBITION 2020” EUKARYOTE, Tokyo, Japan
“gallery TOWED drawing exhibition” gallery TOWED, Tokyo, Japan
“Musashino Art University Graduation Exhibition 2019” Musashino Art University, Tokyo, Japan

Awards

2022 FACE2022, Finalist
ART AWARD TOKYO MARUNOUCHI 2022, Judge’s Prize

EXHIBITIONS

Hiroto Tomonaga Lightning

2025.3.22 Sat - 5.2 Fri

Kyobashi

Hiroto Tomonaga In the distance

2024.6.1 Sat - 6.29 Sat

Tennoz

Hiroto Tomonaga Changeable Sight

2023.4.8 Sat - 5.13 Sat

Tennoz