The Brooklyn-based Japanese artist Tomokazu Matsuyama has amassed a global following for his colorful paintings, sculptures, installations, and fashion collaborations that explore a merging of cultures. Most recently, in his exhibition—”FIRST LAST” at Azabudai Hills Gallery, his first major show in Tokyo—Matsuyama presented a collection of around 40 works from the past decade, including a new large-scale work, First Last, seen for the first time.
Tomokazu Matsuyama, “Drift Confidence Rippling,” courtesy of the artist and Almine Rech.
Spanning his practice’s diverse mediums, the exhibitions followed major solo exhibitions at the Venice Biennale (2024), Shanghai Powerlong Museum, (2023), and Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art (2023). This fall, Matsuyama will present an exhibition at The SCAD Museum of Art at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Shinjuku East Square, courtesy of Tomokazu Matsuyama.
Timed to New York Art Week, Whitewall spoke with Matsuyama about his favorite places in the Big Apple—and why you can’t overlook coming into his studio or going out of the city for inspiration.
Courtesy of Tomokazu Matsuyama.
20 Dollar Cold Cold Heart, courtesy of Tomokazu Matsuyama.
WHITEWALL: Where is the best spot to find inspiration in New York?
TOMOKAZU MATSUYAMA: The New York Public Library on 42nd Street and Sixth Avenue. As a self-taught painter, I’ve learned so much from their free access to art books. They even have a collection of DVDs that cover everything you’d learn in art school. It’s truly a hidden gem for anyone eager to learn.
WW: What is the best off-the-beaten-path place to see art in New York?
TM: Nyack, just outside NYC. My upcoming show is at the Hopper House—the birthplace and childhood home of Edward Hopper. Built in 1858, it’s a small wooden house turned museum and historical landmark. I’ll be showing a few paintings there. It’s a bit surreal to exhibit in what feels like someone’s living room—but that’s what makes it special. A beautifully bizarre New York moment.
—Tomokazu Matsuyama“A beautifully bizarre New York moment,”
WW: What is your best-kept secret in New York?
TM: My studio. Playfully speaking, it’s probably the most elaborate cultural experience of intentional neutrality. Think conceptual meets ornamental; East Weets Mest—not East Meets West. It’s a dialogue between tradition and contemporary, historical relics and freshly finished paintings, emotion and philosophy. There’s no absolute ethnicity, and every belief system is welcome—Buddhism, Christianity, Shintoism, Islam, etc. It’s about unity through division.
“It’s about unity through division,”
—Tomokazu Matsuyama
Insider Tomokazu Matsuyama’s Best of New York
1. The New York Public Library
Courtesy of The New York Public Library.
“The New York Public Library has been an essential provider of free books, information, ideas, and education for all New Yorkers for more than 125 years. Founded in 1895, NYPL is the nation’s largest public library system, featuring 92 locations across the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, including our world-renowned research centers at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Together with our circulating branches, including the all-new Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL), the Library provides an extraordinary richness of resources and opportunities available to all.” via The New York Public Library
2. Edward Hopper House
Courtesy of Edward Hopper House.
“Edward Hopper House Museum & Study Center explores the intersection of place, memory, and creativity in Edward Hopper’s early life and artistic career. We cultivate a community of learning and appreciation of the arts inspired by Hopper’s enduring local, national, and global legacy.” via Edward Hopper House
3. Tomokazu Matsuyama’s Studio
Tomokazu Matsuyama, “Untitled (Japan, 1976),” 2022, 200 x 200 cm, mixed media; courtesy of the artist and Zidoun Boussuyt.
“At MATSUYAMA STUDIO, we value a team of “distinct individuals.” Rather than seeking uniformity, we embrace unique differences, fostering an environment where diverse values are welcomed and individual strengths are shared. Collaborative dialogue with our trusted team members sparks new ideas, enabling MATSUYAMA STUDIO to create work that challenges and inspires society. Our team includes not only graduates from art institutions in Japan and the United States but also self-taught individuals with varied backgrounds. At MATSUYAMA STUDIO, unique perspectives are not only accepted but celebrated. We welcome individuals with a wide range of experiences and skills.” via Tomokazu Matsuyama
