Hiromi Kawano

Hiromi Kawano has been saved by taking photographs and creating multiple exposure works. She encountered the expression technique of multiple exposure in 2015. She became fascinated by the unexpected worlds that appear by overlapping photographs. What started out of curiosity eventually became something that protects and supports her heart from anxiety and sadness. Amid major life changes such as the passing of her parents and her own illness, she believed, "Because I was able to take this photo, because I was able to create this work, tomorrow will be okay." In January 2023, after seeing footage of the Noto Peninsula earthquake, she created a pair of works amid indescribable anxiety. When she placed a powerful dahlia in the first piece and a white heron in the second, she felt, "My family, the world, and I will be okay." Later, she realized that the dahlia she unconsciously chose represented her mother and the white heron her father. She will continue to take photographs and create works. It resembles a prayer wishing for daily peace. Major exhibitions include FOCUS Art Fair Paris 2022 and Artexpo New York 2024.

PROFILE

Biography

1964: Born in Saitama Prefecture.
1986: Graduated from Atomi University Women's College, Department of Japanese Literature.　
1994: Began self-studying digital design. 1998: Started working as a freelance writer and illustrator.
2015: Started creating digital multiple exposure works.
2017: Began activities as an artist with a solo exhibition.
2022: Exhibited at Focus Art Paris 2022.
2023: Exhibited at Tokyo Tower Art Fair (World Wide Art), Red Dot Miami (World Wide Art), and participated in a group exhibition in New York (JCAT NY).
2024: Exhibited at Artexpo New York 2024 (World Wide Art), and participated in a group exhibition in New York (JCAT NY).
2025: Exhibited at Artexpo New York 2025 (World Wide Art).

Points of artwork creation

The first point is photography, which starts with capturing scenes that personally attract me. Sometimes I shoot while traveling, but most are natural or architectural scenes seen in daily life, and I keep my antenna up to not miss fleeting moments that change with seasons and times of day.

The second point is the selection of photos. Sometimes decisions are made quickly, other times it takes over a year or two. When combinations are decided for the time being, I use iPhone or computer apps to control photo modes and values like choosing brushes and painting tools to complete the work.

The third point is the printing paper and processing method used for finishing the exhibition pieces. Since colors cannot be reproduced 100% digitally, color adjustments are also made. Currently, finishing with photo acrylic, where transparent acrylic is laminated onto the work (commissioned to a photo studio), is common, but I want to try various other methods in the future.

recommendation letter

In Hiromi Kawano's works, ordinary everyday scenes appear in a new form as if in a dream.

Project theme: What does "a place to return to" 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 together, raised our daughters there, and it is our home where we connected to the vast world through the internet after getting a computer. I work and create art based at this safe place.

And then, there is one more "home of the heart" that I occasionally remember. It is the family home where I lived until I was 26 years old. The property is surrounded by tea bushes, persimmon and chestnut trees, roses, azaleas, and various seasonal flowers, making it a house that could be said to be protected by greenery. I was raised influenced greatly by my grandmother, my father who loved books and cameras, and my mother who ran a class teaching Japanese sewing and knitting. There are some bitter memories, but now I want to cherish this place, which exists only in my heart, as another place to return to.

OTHERS

¥70,000

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