Kiyo Hasegawa (b. 1984) is a contemporary Japanese painter whose practice is rooted in traditional Japanese painting (Nihonga), employing mineral pigments, metal leaf, and handmade paper within an abstract visual language. Working with these materials, she reduces visual elements to their essence, allowing marks and layers to emerge as traces of perception. Her work evokes a quiet, sublime presence and invites a contemplative encounter with what lies beyond words.

She received her master’s degree from Tama Art University and has since developed a distinctive approach grounded in Japanese materials and sensibilities. Her work was included in Shin Japanese Painting: Revolutionary Nihonga at the Pola Museum of Art, and in 2023 she was selected for Harper’s BAZAAR’s Women on the Frontier. Represented by A Lighthouse called Kanata, she exhibits internationally at major art fairs including TEFAF Maastricht, Art Basel Hong Kong and Frieze Seoul. Her solo presentation was featured at Art Fair Tokyo 2025.

Can you tell us about your background and how you started your artistic journey?

I spent part of my childhood in Australia, which exposed me to both Western and Japanese cultures from an early age. After returning to Japan at the age of eight, I became aware of an atmosphere unique to this place, a subtle sense of awe that I could not fully explain. The air felt more saturated, as if something unseen was always present. It appeared in the density of certain spaces, in the weight of landscapes, and in quiet moments within everyday life. It gently pressed against perception. 

Over time, this presence formed an internal image. It emerges through attentive observation and becomes clearer in moments of stillness. Painting is a way of approaching it.

What are the main themes or concepts you explore in your work?

At the heart of my work lies the question of how much of the world we can still receive before it is named or explained.

I explore how a state of perception that has not yet crystallized into a fixed image can be held within painting. For me, painting creates the conditions through which this state can become perceptible. What begins in stillness is gradually tested and translated through the movement of the hand and the materiality of the medium. 

Through this process, I hope to create a space where viewers may encounter the quiet, wordless presence.

Nature and spirituality are central to your practice. In what ways do you explore these themes in your paintings?

Places such as shrines, temples, and certain landscapes carry an atmosphere that sharpens perception. For me, these are not subjects to be depicted, but conditions that allow a certain sensitivity to arise. What is already forming internally is brought into focus through these encounters. The work does not describe a scene but distills the essence of an encounter. In this sense, spirituality is sensed through the process rather than defined.

You work with traditional mineral pigments and handmade paper. How do these materials shape the meaning of your works?

The materials are inseparable from the work. Mineral pigments, formed over long periods of time, carry a sense of duration that invites a certain reverence. At the same time, their behavior cannot be fully controlled, as humidity and environmental conditions influence their interaction with glue and paper.

This responsiveness is essential to my process. It allows what I perceive to be carried into the work. The surface does not simply depict. It contains.

What do you hope people take away from your art when they experience it?

I hope that viewers can experience a moment in which perception slows and sharpens.

In an increasingly accelerated world, the work may offer a moment to pause and reawaken awareness. I am interested in creating the conditions of sustained looking, where something not immediately visible begins to emerge. If the work can function as a place for quiet receptivity, then it has fulfilled its role.

What projects are you currently working on, and what can we expect from you in the future?

While consistently producing work for exhibitions and art fairs, I see my practice as an unfolding process. Looking ahead, I hope to extend painting beyond the frame, allowing the work to enter into a deeper dialogue with its surroundings. I am looking for ways to let the work breathe more deeply within its environment.

Text and photo courtesy of Kiyo Hasegawa

Website: https://kiyohasegawa.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiyo_hasegawa/