SUNOHARA Naoto

Naoto Sunohara is a contemporary Japanese painter whose work centers on mountains and rocky landscapes experienced directly through fieldwork. After earning a BA (2018) and MFA (2020) in Japanese Painting from Tohoku University of Art & Design, he developed a practice grounded in bodily movement, rhythm, and sustained observation. Sunohara climbs mountains as an essential part of his process, translating physical sensation – breath, steps, and tempo – into dynamic brushwork.

Working with traditional materials such as sumi ink and mineral pigments on Japanese paper, he creates expansive, often near-abstract surfaces that merge action with image. Rather than treating mountains as distant symbols or destinations, Sunohara situates himself within them, allowing mind and body to interact with terrain over time. His paintings evoke the texture and presence of rock and earth while reflecting an inner landscape shaped by repetition and immersion. Sunohara has exhibited widely in Japan, including at the POLA Museum of Art, Art Front Gallery, and THE NORTH FACE Alter.