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Artist Mikio Kobayashi Mikio Kobayashi

Mikio Kobayashi
WORKS INTERVIEW EXHIBITIONS

INTERVIEWInterview

Mikio Kobayashi

Believe in the talent of drawing and create an environment where you can demonstrate it

"When I was in junior high school, I was taught oil painting in art class, and it was very interesting. I started painting oil paintings as a hobby in the third year of junior high school, copying various subjects. For example, I copied the paintings of Renoir and Degas that were printed on the folds of newspapers, and I spent three or four months painting the Mona Lisa. Although I wanted to work in painting and design, after graduating from high school, I started working in the general affairs department of a major telecommunications equipment manufacturer in human resources and employment-related work. I worked for about two years, but I was worried about my career, thinking, 'What will happen to my future? So, I changed jobs to a printing company with the help of an acquaintance. At that time, I had no experience in design, but I started with the creation of prints, and acquired various skills from photo typesetting work, caricature production, and design. After that, he became independent and started a design company. I established the company in the first year of Heisei, so it has been 35 years since it was founded."  
　
Kobayashi has loved drawing since he was a child, and he honed his know-how and design sense on his own. When he got a job, he joined a manufacturer in search of stability, but his desire to paint did not disappear. From Mr. Kobayashi, who believes in the talent of painting and has moved to an environment where he can demonstrate it, I feel the great power of fulfilling his true intentions without ending with his dreams and goals.  
　
"Even after starting a design company, I continued to paint as a hobby, but when I got married, I tried to distance myself from oil painting. One time, I watched a watercolor TV show and was fascinated by the beautiful watercolors that didn't bother me with dirt or smell, so I started doing watercolor painting in 2019."

Add warmth and kindness to reality

"The work I am most fond of is a painting of my daughters from more than 20 years ago. Recently, my second daughter had a wedding, and when I was looking for a photo of my childhood for a profile movie, I came across a nostalgic photo. There were so many photos taken at a nearby temple, photos of eating snow at a ski resort, photos of playing on the slide at the entrance ceremony, photos of grabbing rainbow trout, etc., and it seemed to bring back those days. My daughters are now married and away from home, so I looked back on the past and finished the painting based on those photos. I think it's a good work."  
　
When I asked him which of his many works he had a fondness for, Mr. Kobayashi told me with a squinting eye and smiling. At the request of her daughter, she once drew a picture of the couple for the wedding welcome board, and she replied with a gentle look that seemed to have a happy and a hint of loneliness together, saying, "Maybe the relationship between parents and children is good." Not only children's drawings, but also Kobayashi's paintings give a warm and gentle impression while being realistic. Is there anything you keep in mind when drawing?  
　
"When drawing watercolors, I am particular about deciding on the colors I use. All of my paintings are basically a mixture of three colors: cobalt blue hue, yellow ochre, and rose mudder. Sometimes I add slightly lighter colors such as vermillion hue and opera to portrait paintings, and bright colors such as permanent green for landscape paintings. I don't mean to limit the colors, but when I drew them in these three colors, it felt right. Since then, I have been drawing in three basic colors, and I think that is why I am able to express a soft and calm tone."

Drawing is just fun

"I was surprised when a work was adopted for a German winemaker's label. A few months later, I received an airmail, and when I opened it, it said something like "It was adopted as an artist label for wine" in German. It was an honor and a pleasure to have my drawings used on product labels."  
　
Mr. Kobayashi's paintings bring value not only to Japan but also to the world. What does it mean to Kobayashi to paint? The unexpected answer reminds me of a translation of a passage from the Analects, "Effort cannot overcome love."  
　
"I don't really have any motivation or something I'm conscious of. It's just fun to draw. Of course, I'm happy when I feel like I've done well, but sometimes I make mistakes. At such times, I feel depressed and worry, so I sometimes redraw it. However, it's fun to start coloring from the idea that it would be beautiful if you made this into a picture, and then finish it beautifully as you actually imagined. Therefore, I almost never find it painful to draw. I would be disappointed if the number of followers on social media who post my drawings suddenly decreased. However, I paint because I hope that people who see it can feel peace and healing from my paintings. As an artist, I am happy to be able to make the client happy with the picture I have been asked to draw, saying that it is "wonderful" or "I really liked it". He would like to continue to focus on portrait painting and landscape painting. I'm not good at landscape painting, but it would be nice if I could be aware of the composition, angle of view, color, etc., and update it every time."

EXHIBITIONS 展覧会情報

2025.02.16 ～ 2025.02.28

Mikio Kobayashi Web Solo Exhibition -The Daily Life of a Cat Healed-
Thank you for visiting. This solo exhibition was held on February 22nd, "Cat Day", and was titled "The Daily Life of a Healing Cat", and I exhibited the appearance, images, and imagination of cats on a daily basis. It is a work painted with a slight and soft color by watercolor. I would like you to take your time to see all the works. Cats are free-spirited, but for me, just being there soothes and heals me. Even if you can't keep your favorite cat, we hope that these pictures will heal you even a little.
●Mikio Kobayashi[Biography] In 1957 ・Born in Yamanashi Prefecture In 1971 ・Start oil painting In 2019 ・Start watercolor painting on your own 【Public Exhibition】 2020 - ・Exhibited twice a year from the 20th International Watercolor Society Exchange NET Exhibition and selected 2022〜 ・Exhibited at the "Gallery 2511" mini-art exhibition every time 【Solo Exhibition】 In 2021 ・Held a solo exhibition at Ginza Gallery "Gallery Azuma" 【Special Exhibition】 In 2022 ・Exhibited at Gallery Conceal Shibuya