Hiromichi Yamagata was born in 1948 in Malbara, Japan near Kyoto.After finishing high school in 1967 he began to study art at a private school run by Sugimura Masachika.Mr Masachika was quite interested in nail painting and especially influenced by the work of Henri Rosseau.Consequently, he fostered in Hiro a love of French naifs as well as teaching the basics of classical painting.Hiro worked in advertising for a while and in 1972 moved to Paris to study at the prestigious Ecole des Beaux Arts.By 1973 he had become well known in Paris as a naif painter.
Yamagata has won medals for his work in Japan and has exhibited numerous times in Paris at the Salon, the Salon des Beaux Arts, the Association des Artistes Francaises and the Salon d’Automne.His work has also been shown by fine galleries in England, France, Austria and the United States,
As one looks at Yamgata’s fantasies, it is interesting to note the similarities between his work and the Renaissance painters he admires, Pieter Breughel and Hieronymus Bosch.The figures have the same genre quality of Breughel while enjoying Bosch’s love of whimsical relationships and activities.Every inch of canvas is covered by architecture laden with signs, people involved in love, play, work or thought.Vehicles of various types populate the streets while the skies are rarely without the hot air balloon which has become his trademark. All of his scenes are set on the backdrop pf Parisian streets and evoke the gay atmosphere of Paris in the early 1900’s.Using thin pain and a controlled line, his imagery is clearly defined resulting in a highly polished look.
All in all, Yamagata has captured the essence of naif painting by presenting life in simple terms and full of happiness.His paintings invite the viewer to participate in a world full of wonderful fantasy and humour where life is not so bad after all.
