Kazutaka Hirota is a Japanese artist and a descendant of Korean immigrants and has lived in the U.S. since 2011. His painting and drawing are influenced by 20th  century Modern Art, specifically

Orphism,the Russian Avant Garde and American Abstract Expressionism. Also, he is influenced by 1960s British pop music, London Psychedelic, orchestra music of the late 19th  century and the early 20th century, Swing Jazz, Hard Bop and most recently Free Jazz.

 

As a Japanese artist in the U.S., his interestis to find the greatest common measure between the Western and Japanese culture. Before coming to theU.S., Hirota worked as a tempura chef for a Japanese restaurant and as a product manager for both an art

supply and food manufacturing company, and his job experience outside of art in Japan also affects hisartworks to show Japan-ness on Western artistic style. Hirota has exhibited solo and group shows at“panorama ”(solo) “Folklore ” at Museum of Nagoya Municipal Government in Nagoya, Japan, “MICA GRAD SHOW 2016 ” at Space Camp, “Who’s Killed Painting? ”(solo) at Gateway, Maryland InstituteCollege of Art, Baltimore, MD, etc. and worked as an art curator for “Obon Dancing Experience:Japanese Day of the Dead ” in La Peña Cultural Center, Berkeley, CA and “Picture Book ~ Potluck by Small Art Works”  in Maryland Institute College of Art.