Contemporary Realist Painter Merging Classical Technique and Tempera Innovation Kazuya Ushioda, born in Japan in 1983, creates portraits that masterfully merge classical technique with material innovation. After being drawn to painting in his youth, Ushioda pursued formal art education, culminating in a Ph.D. in Fine Arts from Bunsei University of Art in 2015. His doctoral research focused on developing new tempera formulations for contemporary realistic expression, resulting in his signature medium: Impasto OG Tempera. This unique water-based formula—combining animal glue, pigments, and a small amount of oil—provides exceptional adhesion and quick-drying properties while maintaining flexibility when applied thickly. Ushioda employs a distinctive process, using his tempera medium for underpainting before transitioning to oil paints for finishing layers, creating works with remarkable depth and textural nuance. While purity and cleanliness appear as recurring visual motifs in Ushioda's work, he identifies "prayer" as his central theme—not in a religious sense, but as an expression of hope for humanity's inherent goodness. His art responds thoughtfully to what he perceives as an uncertain and sometimes cruel contemporary world, seeking to preserve and highlight beauty that can inspire and enlighten viewers. This artistic vision has garnered significant international recognition. In 2023, Ushioda received First Prize in Spain's prestigious Figurativas competition for his painting "Grimoire", which he describes as "a culmination of everything I've learned from classical painting." That same year, his work "Flowers of Hope" also won a major prize, further establishing his reputation in the global realist art community. Ushioda's paintings have been exhibited internationally—from Tokyo and Osaka to Barcelona and Los Angeles—and he is currently represented by Abend Gallery in the United States and their sister gallery, Gallery 1261. Looking forward, Ushioda continues to explore the intersection of traditional spiritual symbols and realism in his latest work, while also researching new painting grounds that work harmoniously with both tempera and oil. Beyond his artistic practice, he hopes to eventually teach and share his technical knowledge with younger artists, seeing himself as part of a continuing lineage of artistic tradition and innovation. Ushioda's ultimate mission is to elevate realist painting to a level of cultural and artistic recognition equal to that of contemporary art, demonstrating that realism remains a powerful, emotionally resonant, and relevant artistic language in the twenty-first century. Curriculum Vitae 2015: Completed Doctoral program in Oil Painting, Bunsei University of Arts, Graduate School 《Doctoral degree》 2017: Solo Exhibition Tokyo Bijutsu Club Art Fair Tokyo Bijutsu Club Museum 2020: The 3rd Hoki Museum Grand Prize Exhibition, Special Prize 2020: 15th ARC Salon (U.S.A.) First time exhibited Finalists 2021: Associate Member, Art Renewal Center (USA), approved as Associate Living Master 2022: "Algo mas que realismo .... XVI" (16th Something more than realismo), Spain *Group exhibition in which Antonio Lopez and Eduardo Naranjo participated in the past 2023: Participated in LA art show 2023 2023: First Asian to win the Grand Prize at Figurativas 2023, a world-class painting competition to be held at MEAM (Museum of European Modern Art), Spain 2024: Grand Prize at MODportrait 2023, Spain 2024: First prize in tempera category at TITIAN INTERNATIONAL PORTRAIT PAINTING & SCULPTURE COMPETITION, Italy 2025: Awarded Honorable Mention at 17th ARC International Competition, USA Collection MEAM (European Museum of Modern Art), Spain "Grimoire", "Flower of Hope", "miracle" Hoki Museum of Art, Japan "Prayer" Currently Associate Living Master, Associate Member, Art Renewal Center, USA 日本語版はこちら / View Japanese Version 潮田和也（うしおだ ゆう）は、1983年に日本で生まれ、古典技法と素材革新を見事に融合させた肖像画を制作しています。幼い頃から絵画に惹かれ、美術の道へと進み、2015年に文星芸術大学大学院博士課程を修了し、美術博士号を取得しました。博士研究では、現代の写実表現に適した新たなテンペラ技法の開発に取り組み、「インパストOGテンペラ」と呼ばれる独自の画材を完成させました。この水性絵具は、膠、顔料、少量の油分を組み合わせたもので、高い接着力と速乾性を持ち、厚塗りでも柔軟性を保つ特長があります。潮田は、このテンペラを下塗りに使用し、その後油彩で仕上げるという独自の手法で、深みと質感に富んだ作品を生み出しています。 作品には清らかさや潔癖さが繰り返し登場しますが、本人は「祈り」を中心的なテーマとして掲げています。それは宗教的な意味ではなく、人間の本質的な善良さへの希望の表現です。現代社会の不安や残酷さに対する応答として、見る人に光を与えるような美しさを守り、描き出すことを目指しています。このような芸術的なビジョンは国際的にも高く評価されており、2023年にはスペインの名高いフィグラティバス・コンペティションにて《グリモワール》が最優秀賞を受賞。本人はこの作品を「自分の学んできた古典絵画の集大成」と語っています。同年、《希望の花々》も受賞し、リアリズム絵画の国際的な作家としての地位を確立しました。 東京、大阪、バルセロナ、ロサンゼルスなど国内外で作品が展示され、現在はアメリカのAbend Galleryおよびその姉妹ギャラリーGallery 1261に所属しています。現在は、伝統的な精神的シンボルと写実主義の融合をテーマに新作を制作しながら、テンペラと油彩の両方に適した下地の研究にも取り組んでいます。また、自らの技術を次世代の若手作家に伝えることも視野に入れており、芸術の伝統と革新の系譜において自らの役割を果たすことを望んでいます。最終的な目標は、リアリズム絵画を現代アートと同等の文化的・芸術的価値にまで高めること。リアリズムが今も力強く、感情豊かで、時代に適した表現方法であることを世界に示すことが、彼の使命です。