Tomokazu Matsuyama / Matzu was born and raised in Japan. The young professional snowboarder-turned-artist has been featured in the pages of Vapors and Transworld Snowboarding. Matzu applies Japanese techniques and sensibility to his large-scale paintings. This includes his use of Japanese calligraphy brush strokes for a reoccuring icon, the hardened countenance of a man Matzu calls the Reluctant Worrier, a stoic messenger who bears the troubles of an entire society. Matzu also draws from a traditional Japanese color palette and application of negative space. Together, the three elements evoke a tension and a sense of melancholy, but one that is not entirely without hope. Matzu studied at the Kuwasawa Design School in Tokyo and received his MFA from the Pratt Institute in New York, where he currently lives and works.

Matzu, a Japanese artist
www.matzu.net