Shizuka Ando

Born in Chiba in 1991. Graduated from Tama Art University with a degree in Japanese painting in 2018. Known for unique portraits with multiple, objective perspectives that incorporate the gaze of both self and others at certain “moments” in life, her works embody a multifaceted, objective perspective. The figures she depicts carry introspective expressions, while deliberately retaining an ambiguity that avoids evoking any specific individual. In her early practice, Ando was influenced by Surrealism, which sought to express dreams and the unconscious. Over time, however, she became strongly drawn to the “primitive yet delicate” duality inherent in natural materials used in Nihonga, such as mineral pigments and hemp paper. She gradually integrated these qualities into her own worldview, developing a style that could be described as 'shinshin gōitsu' — a 'unification of body and mind'. Her paintings precisely reveal a melancholic sense of the times and have been consistently well received in every exhibition.