Yuko Shiraishi

London Studio

Yuko Shiraishi’s London studio.

I had the pleasure to spend some time with Yuko who I met over 10 years ago when I was commissioned to photograph her work in White City, a development designed by Allies & Morrison for the BBC.

Yuko Shiraishi is represented by Annely Juda Fine Art, where I have collaborated with her on several occasions. Photographing and filming her installations, often with dancers interacting with her three dimensional works.

According to Annely Juda Fine Art,

‘Bands of contrasting colours and tones ranging from delicate layered organic brushwork to sections of heavier grainy and combed surfaces interplay to create formal rather than illusionistic space.  Nuances of light and colour break through from subtle layers of underpainting. Whilst this pre-occupation with the formal qualities of paint and composition roots Shiraishi’s work in the genre of American abstract and colour field painting, her works are sensual and evocative. In her more recent canvases the painted surfaces are made by the layering of thinner washes of paint which give a subtle luminocity and the compositions are punctuated by small dots or spots of colour - each carefully placed as a point of reference on the surface, breaking up any interpreted visual depth or perspective.  Shiraishi’s stunning use of colour, tone and composition make her works seductive to the eye and the senses yet at the same time fascinate as intellectual explorations into the formal language of painting.

Yuko has exhibited widely including the UK, Germany, Switzerland and Japan and her works are held in major public collections and museums around the world.  These include; Arts Council of Great Britain, British Museum, Government Art Collection, London; Graves Art Gallery, Sheffield UK; Max Bill-George Vantongerloo Foundation, Zumikon, Switzerland; Wilhelm-Hack-Museum, Ludwigshafen, Germany; McCrory Corporation, New York, USA; Ludwig Muzeum, Budapest, Hungary; The National Museum of Art, Osaka; Ohara Museum, Kurashiki; Seibu Museum of Art, Tokyo, Japan’.

Exploring her studio with the camera was a delight. Also to share a cup of tea and on my out to take a portrait of her at the entrance.

Artist studio with a person standing, surrounded by art materials, photos on the wall, and a ladder.
Collage of various photographs and sketches pinned on a wall, featuring landscapes, abstract art, and diagrams.
Stack of paintings leaned against a wall, including an orange canvas with a pink stripe and other dark and light canvases.
Box of assorted acrylic paint tubes
A wooden shelf containing various boxes of oil paint tubes labeled with colors such as Spectrum Scarlet, Indian Red, and Alizarin Crimson, along with electric plugs and cords. Some boxes have handwritten labels.
Colorful paint cans with various colors on the rims, including purple, pink, orange, yellow, green, and blue, arranged on a surface.
Close-up of a cracked, textured concrete surface with reddish-brown and dark gray tones.
Two abstract paintings with colorful stripes on a white wall, featuring shades of pink, red, orange, and teal, with a cable hanging in front.
Art supplies on a table, including colored pencils, pens, scissors, and a ruler.
Yellow tray with blue acrylic sheets and circular cutouts on a table, surrounded by tape and a black handle.
An art studio featuring a large pink abstract painting on the wall, surrounded by various items including boxes, a stool, a small table, and scattered art supplies. The floor is concrete and the area is slightly cluttered with materials and equipment
Art studio with two abstract paintings on the wall, a black chair, a step ladder, and cushions on the floor.
Art studio interior with paintings, supplies, and a couch
Window with grid-patterned glass panes and a small mirror reflecting a colorful, obscured object.
Three large, flat paintbrushes with colorful bristles resting on a white surface.
Concrete surface with colorful paint splatters and stains in various sizes and colors.
Person standing outside a brick building by an open door, wearing a navy sweater and sweatpants, with graffiti on the door. Sign reads 'Acme Studios, 15 Orsman Road'."