Udon, 2018

HIroomi Ito  

“Udon" is cautiously made with mineral pigments, glue, silver leaf, Sumi, wheat starch paste, alum, natural water and roasted green tea on handmade Japanese paper, on cedar wood. 

Born in Tokyo and based in Barcelona, Hiroomi Ito develops a highly distinctive pictorial language rooted in traditional Japanese techniques, while addressing themes of identity, globalization, cultural stereotypes, and the human condition. His practice draws inspiration from painting, yet deliberately departs from its conventions to create a contemporary and introspective body of work.

Ito works exclusively with handcrafted materials imported from Japan, including handmade washi paper, sumi ink, wheat starch, charcoal, roasted tea, and natural pigments, often incorporating gold or silver leaf. Each artwork is the result of a slow, meticulous process in which the preparation of materials is as significant as the final image. This ritualistic approach connects painting to craft, memory, and time.

Visually subtle yet conceptually powerful, Ito's works often reference Japanese cultural symbols such as food, tattoos, or calligraphic gestures, not as decorative motifs, but as vehicles to question Western clichés, social pressure, alienation, and the fragile balance between tradition and contemporary life. His compositions convey silence, tension, and emotional depth, inviting the viewer into a contemplative space where beauty and discomfort coexist.