Your art career has spanned over 30 years. Could you share how you first became interested in art? HIROKO IMADA: It is hard to say when I first became interested in art but I can say it must have been the influence of my mother, who loves art in general. I remember I used to go to art exhibitions, museums, classical concerts, theatre, etc. with my mother from when I was a small child, and I really enjoyed the experience. Also, I started to have piano and violin lessons at an early age and later on I was a member of a chorus from the ages of 8 to 12, … Read More

Left – Fishing Boat at IneMiddle – ShirakawagoRight – Woodland Shrine How long have you been painting, and when did you know an art career was for you? Matthew: I’ve been painting since I was a child. I didn’t paint much during my art studies and it was during my early twenties that I decided to concentrate fully on painting. Have you always worked with watercolours? M: I focused on watercolours for a long time, but over the past year, I’ve been painting a lot in oils. I find it refreshing to change medium as it presents so many more challenges. It’s important to try to keep a fresh approach … Read More

“Jiji and Kinako on Washi”, your photography exhibition with Sway Gallery London, explored the extraordinary connection between a 94-year-old man with Alzheimer’s and his loving cat. Celebrating relationships is a key theme of your work – how have you adapted during the pandemic, since many of us are unable to meet others in person? Akiko: It was hard and it still is hard to adapt to this new-normal. I am someone who needs human connection and the more the pandemic situation got serious and the more this new-normal became real, I began to crave for it. However, I found that it wasn’t just me. When we still didn’t know much … Read More