Japanese-born painter Tomoya Matsuzaki draws inspiration from food, foraging and the cultural differences he has experienced between his native country and the UK, where he has lived for the past two decades. Matsuzaki’s interest in foraging arises from a desire to better understand and connect with the places he lives:

‘I often go foraging to harvest edible plants … and the activity makes me observe not only the textures, colours and shapes of our surroundings but also the condition of places, such as seasons, weather, temperature and light. The weather conditions affect the timing for fruiting mushrooms, the sea tides have an association to the moon phases, the smell of rain comes from bacteria and viruses in soil, so called petrichor, and the natural sunlight makes vitamin D which affects our moods.’

Tomoya had a solo exhibition, Petrichor Grey, with Devonshire Collective in 2023.

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