Hiroko Imada

Born in Tokyo, Hiroko Imada graduated from Tokyo Zokei University in 1988. The artist moved to London in 1990 and continued her study at the Slade School of Fine Art (University College London). She has exhibited throughout Europe and Japan and has also been awarded several prestigious commissions. These include commissioning a site-specific installation at the Great Court of the British Museum as a part of the Hokusai: Beyond the Great Wave exhibition official event (2017). In 2019, Universal Pictures commissioned Imada to create a painting for the blockbuster film Fast and Furious 9 (premiered in 2021). In 2021, the British Museum commissioned her to create a woodblock print, and its production process was recorded as a film to run at the exhibition Hokusai: The Great Picture Book of Everything (2021 – 22). In 2022, Imada created a Japanese colour woodblock print inspired by a work from the Royal Collection and its production process was filmed and presented at Japan: Courts and Culture exhibition from April 2022 until February 2023 at The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace. Most recently, renowned British shoe brand Dr. Martens commissioned Imada to create a woodblock print of their new logo 'Dr. Martens X The Met (Katsushika Hokusai)’ to commemorate the new partnership with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.  Its process was filmed at Imada’s studio and the artist herself also appears in the promotional film. 

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Artist statement

After the successful completion of interactive installation work: Making Waves – the official event of Hokusai, Beyond the Great Wave in the Great Court of the British Museum in 2017, I decided to further develop an exhibition, Shapes of Water, through different formats. Inspired by Hokusai’s ‘Great Wave’, I presented my own approach to the shapes of water. The unique abstract style is very bold and dynamic yet evocative and delicate, seeking to stimulate and broaden the viewer's imagination. 

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For this series, I have focused on creating works using different techniques. For Cultural Fusion 2023, I am presenting screen print and lithography works. I often use Japanese traditional techniques with a contemporary twist.  

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I also worked with a young British composer and flutist Nicholas Sabisky specifically in forming my works. I believe that the music and my artworks together open up the imagination to deeper levels.