Naoko Shibuya was was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. She studied fine art at the Tama Art University, Tokyo before continuing her studies at Edinburgh College of Art, graduating in 2001 with a Master’s in Fine Art in Painting and Drawing. She divides her time between her studios in Edinburgh and Tokyo. Naoko Shibuya is presenting a new group of paintings with The Gallery in October 2022, entitled Capturing Nature as part of our Autumn programme of exhibitions Scratching the Surface.
‘I draw ideas from the form of trees, plants, flowers and small birds, not only for visual effects, but also to express the strength and robustness of nature. Plants and flowers show dramatic changes in such a short time when they are in bloom and also when they wither. Each figure in each moment represents the turn of time, which seems to go far towards expressing an invisible stream and the phenomenon of fleeting moments in nature. I have been trying to capture something of its essence. I am inspired by the strength and resilience of the natural world.’ – Naoko Shibuya