HIROKO OTAKE

ARTIST BIO & ARTIST STATEMENT

Hiroko Otake is a Japanese artist born in Gifu prefecture, Hiroko Otake completed her Doctor of Fine Arts degree at Tokyo University of the Arts, majoring in Nihon-ga (Traditional Japanese Style of painting). In 2014, she was awarded the Emerald Grant Award by Tokyo University of the Arts. She lived in New York for a year from 2015, supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs Program of Overseas Study for Upcoming Artists. Since her postgraduate studies, her artwork has featured butterflies as a motif. Her use of Japanese painting materials such as haku (metallic leaf) and iwa-enogu (mineral pigments) to discover new ways of expression have garnered high praise both within and outside Japan. Building on such traditional techniques, Otake has been exploring the theme of “permanence in the moments of constant change” through her creations.

Currently based in Tokyo, Otake frequently works with themes that are in relation to butterflies and flowers. As an artist, Otake desires to create original works that she had not seen anywhere else and to visualize her ideas and images of her mind tangibly. Through these efforts, she is able to better connect to the society around her. 

Her paintings reflect her deep commitment to reimagining Nihon-ga as contemporary art. She seeks to honor its traditions while moving beyond its classical image, employing the materials and techniques of Nihon-ga in a modern context. Otake frequently uses mineral pigments alongside gold and silver leaf in her work. The use of metallic leaf, like gold and silver, adds a unique depth to her paintings, offering a different dimension compared to oil, acrylic, or watercolor. The reflective quality of metallic leaf intrigues her, as it changes with the light and viewing angle. For silver leaf, she creates a burnt tone through sulfurization, incorporating chemical reactions into her process.

Otake has been working on a global scale, creating and showcasing her works in major cities such as New York, Hong Kong, Barcelona, Taipei, as well as in cities in Japan. She continues to work passionately in forging a new style of painting that is distinctly her own and pushes the limits of her artistic abilities working with various institutions such as hotels, art galleries, and luxury retailers and designers such as FENDI, Bergdorf Goodman, Godiva, Nihombashi Mitsukoshi, Salvatore Ferragamo and more.