Japanese painter Fuyuko Matsui has made a big name for herself among Neo-Nihonga or "New Japanese" artists. She was recently named one of 2014's most influential people by Nikkei Business, and is the first woman to receive a doctoral degree in Japanese painting (the first male was Takashi Murakami). Her artwork blends uniquely Japanese traditional painting techniques with dramatic subject matter. Check out more of her work after the jump.
Coinciding with the opening of "BLAB!" at Copro Gallery last Saturday was Yoko d'Holbachie's "Genesis of Girls". Over the course of her career, featured in Vol. 6 in 2007, d'Holbachie has created candy colored paintings inspired by the stories of time. One of her greatest inspirations is traditional Japanese folklore and legends. Her characters are non-human and androgynous with a feminine touch, found in her symbols of butterflies and birds representing fertility. Her latest solo show is a reimagining and exploration of the origin of girls from various cultures.