Born in Tokyo (1957), Masato Kobayashi has explored his own definition of painting since the mid 1980s. Having deemed that 'it is too late to paint after stretching canvas over a wooden frame,' Kobayashi established his way of painting by stretching canvas and painting simultaneously. During his art-making process, he puts paint on his hand directly from paint tubes and applies colours by rubbing them on the canvas which he holds in place with the other hand. The artist creates image and space at the same time, and his methodology, which seems to integrate the soul of painting and body together, allows his artwork to stand out in the exhibition space and leave a strong impression on the viewers. Selected solo exhibitions: Artist and the Model, ShugoArts, Tokyo (2019); ART TODAY 2012, Sezon Museum of Modern Art, Nagano (2012); MASATO KOBAYASHI–The Paint of the Planet, Nariwa Museum, Okayama (2009); Starry Paint, stars of outer space by pure painting, Tensta Konsthall, Spanga, Sweden (2004); A Son of Painting Masato Kobayashi, S.M.A.K., Ghent (2001); KOBAYASHI Masato, The Miyagi Museum of Art (2000)
