BIOGRAPHY
1964 Born in Saitama Prefecture
1986 Graduated from Atomi Gakuen Women's University, Faculty of Literature, Department of Japanese Literature
1994 Began self-studying digital design
1998 Started working as a freelance writer and illustrator
2015 Began creating digital multiple exposure works
2017 Started activities as an artist with a solo exhibition
2022 Exhibited at Focus Art Paris 2022
2023 Exhibited at TOKYO TOWER ARTFAIR (World Wide Art), Red Dot Miami (World Wide Art), and a group exhibition at JCAT NY in New York
2024 Exhibited at Artexpo New York 2024 (World Wide Art) and a group exhibition in New York (JCAT NY)
2025 Exhibited at Artexpo New York 2025 (World Wide Art)
Key Points of Artwork Creation
Three key points of creation
I create works using a method called "multiple exposure," which overlaps multiple photos. The first point starts with photography, capturing scenes that personally attract me. Sometimes I shoot while traveling, but most are nature and buildings seen in daily life, and I keep my antenna up to not miss fleeting scenes that change with seasons, weather, and time of day.
The second point is the selection of photos to overlap. Sometimes the combination is decided instantly, other times it takes one or two years to finalize. Using iPhone and computer apps, I control the mode and values of the overlapping photos like choosing brushes and paints to complete the work.
The third point is the choice of printing paper and processing methods when finishing for exhibition. Since colors cannot be reproduced 100% digitally, I also adjust colors. Currently, I mostly finish works with photo acrylic, where transparent acrylic is laminated onto the work (commissioned to a photo studio), but I want to try various other methods in the future.
recommendation letter
Hiromi Kawano's works transform ordinary everyday scenes into new forms as if in a dream. The overlaps and depth created through the multiple exposure technique gently stimulate the viewer's imagination and provide a sensation as if the heart is softly melting.
Though photographic, the works also resemble paintings, leaving a poetic and quiet aftertaste. She is an artist who adds soft light and stories to the space.
Project Theme: What Does "Home" Mean to You?
Two places to return to
The place I return to is the condominium where I have lived for nearly 30 years. My husband and I decided to buy it, raised our daughters there, and connected to the wide world through the internet with a computer. This safe place is my base for work and creating art.
And then, there is another "home of the heart" that I occasionally remember. It is my parents' house where I lived until I was 26. Surrounded by tea bushes, persimmon and chestnut trees, roses, azaleas, and seasonal flowers, it was a house protected by greenery. There, I was raised influenced by my gentle grandmother, my father who loved books and cameras, and my mother who ran classes teaching Japanese sewing and knitting. Though there are some bitter memories, I want to cherish this place, now only in my heart, as another place to return to.
