Surface of reflection May

1952 Born in Kyoto, Japan

1977 University of Washington, B.F.A.

1979 San Francisco Art Institute, M.F.A.

Currently Professor of Art, Kyoto Seika University

In Japanese language, Paper “kami” is phonetically the same as God “kami” enshrined in the Shinto shrine.
From ancient times, the paper held a sacred meaning and kept the close relations to an inner space of prayer and the ritual.
The paper expresses a spirituality without the impurity, which is indispensable for religion and a political ceremony. The vanity of the paper speaks for Japanese mind of metempsychosis, and use of the paper always conforms to manners.

Moreover, the paper demonstrates the durability of more than 1,000 years and holds the strong reliability as a medium.
Hence, the reason is explicit why Musashi uses paper as a support medium of his work, considering both spirituality of the Japanese culture and the durability.

At first the work begins in forming the shape with the wet paper pressed in a mold, then start painting on the relief type casted paper after dried. The composition of image is advancing in the process of papermaking, but the painting actually starts after the paper support is completed. His painting may be associated with a scenery, or sometime related to a surface of plant and animal skin. In his painting he embeds the gold and copper leaf which are congenial with Japanese paper. This is an outcome of the strong trust to a traditional folkcraft of Musashi born and lives in Kyoto. And his work gained the feeling of materialness by burying metal to his work. And all his works are centered around the thoughts of “process and layer”, “original and copy”.