AKIRA MURATA

Biography:
Akira Murata (Japanese, b. January 1955). "As a child, growing up in Koriyama City, Fukushima, he loved nature in all its beauty, and was happy to be outdoors in the lush nature that surrounded his home. He also very much enjoyed arts and crafts, creating with his hands, throughout his early years. After completion of his general schooling,
Murata attended Tokyo Zokei University, but left to pursue a more creative career in design. He graduated from Nihon Designer College, specializing in fashion. During this period he won many distinguished awards for his designs including the Grand–Prix NDS Japan Fashion Illustration 1977. Although he was a successful businessman, managing a fashion goods company in Tokyo, his innate passion for painting inevitably drew him back to the canvas. Although his subjects vary, many of his paintings are inspired by the natural surroundings of his home town and by the great Impressionists, Monet, Degas and Renoir, Since devoting himself to his art, Murata continues to exhibit in both Tokyo and Paris with numerous successful exhibitions for his oils, pastels and water colors. Murata has always dreamed of owning his own building dedicated to the arts. It would be a place where art lovers and collectors could gather. In June of 2009 his dream, “Vasenoir” was completed. On entering the building, you can find his personal atelier (studio) and a charming Parisian style café. The second floor of the building houses a large ballet studio. The beautiful paintings of Akira Murata are in private collections worldwide and 2012 marks the year his superb art became available for acquisition in the United States."