SOLO EXHIBITION
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Oji Makoto is a Japanese painter based in Kyoto. Trained in painting in Japan, he has continued to pursue the possibilities of realism while developing a distinctive personal practice. Since 2000, he has been involved with the Setsuryosha Museum of Art through the Florence Prize Exhibition, which has deepened his interest in Italian art and culture. He is also interested in classical painting techniques and is engaged in research and teaching in this field. He currently teaches in the oil painting department at the Kyoto University of the Arts while also actively working on his studio practice. Through oil painting and drawing, he explores the relationship between observation, materiality, and pictorial structure. Oji has exhibited extensively in Japan and Italy and this is his second exhibition in London.
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My work often centres on subjects that evoke a sense of life, such as flowers and fruits. Through careful observation and realist painting, I seek to translate these forms onto the pictorial surface. For me, this process is both an expression of reverence for life and a quiet celebration of its presence. Alongside contemporary materials such as watercolour and oil pastel, I am also drawn to historical techniques like fresco and tempera. Through this dialogue between traditional methods and modern materials, I continue to explore a personal approach to realist expression.
Makoto Oji, 2026