Experiencing Hiroya Kurata's Art

Finding moments of genuine peace can feel like a rare treasure these days. But what if I told you that a dose of serenity could be as simple as gazing upon a canvas?

Hiroya Kurata's work makes you want to slow down and find tranquility in daily life. His oil paintings look like delightful children's books or manga that whisper calmness through their composition, their palette, and the very essence of what they depict.

Hiroya's canvases are basically a visual diary, capturing little snippets of moments he spends with his family in ordinary places. And, in a way, his art provides a pause button, a moment to simply be in the presence of something beautiful and serene.

His work has been exhibited extensively in solo and group exhibitions across the globe, from New York to Hong Kong, Tokyo, and London. Waiting, his debut solo show at Carl Kostyál, is on view until August 2, 2025.

Comments

Brett Kern fuses 80's pop culture icons into Hellenistic sculptures

Brett Kern is best known for making ceramic art pieces that deceptively look like inflatable toys . But over the course of the last few months, the West Virginia-based clay master and professor have been working hard at finishing a new series of sculptures. The series is based on 80's pop culture characters and inspired by the Hellenistic period. In this set, you'll find everything from a drunken E.T. (a recreation of the The Barberini Faun ) to a Rafael/ The Dying Gaul mashup. Perhaps my favorite of the bunch (pictured below) is ALF Strangling Cat , which is based on the Greek original Boy Strangling Goose . "I am choosing characters that I sympathize with in some capacity," Brett was quoted as saying by Nerdist.com . "When I used to play Ninja Turtles, I pretended to be Rafael because he was the badass rebel that didn't want to listen to anyone else. Fittingly, my older brother was Leonardo and we clashed often." Br...

Mark Poulier's Leaning Tower of Coffee Cups

Some people like to ruin their coffee with things like milk and sugar, others want their coffee black. But Australian artist Mark Poulier seems to be enjoying his morning brew with a lot of ink and a little imagination. Mark specializes in drawing architecture, but recently, he's been experimenting with coffee cup art. I really like his Leaning Tower of Coffee Cups. Intricately detailed, stacked and leaned properly — the paper cups look just like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. To see more awesomeness from Mark, be sure to check him out on Instagram . [h/t: Foodiggity ]

James DeRosso's ceramic monsters

I really like these whimsical ceramic creatures by James DeRosso. Yes, they have bulging eyes and toothy grins, but they're not scary at all. The Portland-based artist started making cute monsters while he was a student to jokingly create gargoyle-like guardians for the kiln. After other students kept taking his quirky little figures, he realized there was a market for them. "I'm enjoying the whole monster making niche," James says. "It's amazingly gratifying to be doing ceramics full time and especially to be a teacher introducing kids to the joy of clay." Be sure to visit his website and like his Facebook page for the latest monster news.

finding cain

Search This Blog