Artists Statement
Matzuba is the combined creative energies of both Motoi Matsukura and Mikhail Dzuba. With a focus on the natural beauty of southern British Columbia, we capture landscape images that inspire us to transform photography into hand painted works of art. Motoi shoots with a Sony Alpha camera and uses Adobe software for editing. Mikhail’s painting style is realism achieved through layering digital prints with acrylic washes and fine brush strokes to attain the accurate, detailed, unembellished depiction of nature. People compare our works to looking out a window upon an actual view. Most paintings are in large format and take between thirty to fifty hours of studio time to paint.
We are motivated by the Japanese term 森林浴 Shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing). We believe nature heals. It comforts, conveys harmony, and relieves stress. It is this restorative notion that encourages us to create works that help soothe our being, balance our busy lives and bring more of the natural world into our interior spaces.
Our mark connects with the Japanese word for pine needle, matsuba — 松 葉
Motoi Matsukura
Motoi Matsukura was born in South Korea and lived most of his early life in Nara, Japan. In his late teens he moved to Canada where he opted to continue his education at the University of Calgary and then finished at the University of British Columbia attaining two master’s degrees. Motoi is now established in Vancouver where he lives with his husband Mikhail.
Motoi has an eye for Japanese aesthetics which highly influences the style of his photography. His passion for capturing moments of everyday life with a camera began over twenty years ago when he willingly became an immigrant in a foreign land. His expression of images was a way to easily communicate without the complexity of using language. He developed exceptional editing skills and today his photographic images are focused largely on the observation of light and shadow in landscapes. Motoi’s photographic images are appreciated for their vivid richness of colour, perfect composition and simple exquisiteness.
Motoi not only has photographic talents but expresses strong musical abilities that he has developed through formal piano studies.
Mikhail Dzuba
Mikhail lives in British Columbia, Canada, where for many years he was a university administrator. His career also spanned time as a set decorator, visual presentation specialist, store designer, retail marketing consultant, and educator.
Now retired, Mikhail has turned his attention back to creating art. His artistic interest was cultivated in childhood growing up on a farm in the Okanagan, and further advanced when he formally studied Fine Arts at Okanagan College, and later Film & Photography at Ryerson.
His love of nature has been constant throughout his life, providing not only inspiration but also a grounding balance. He loves gardening alongside his husband, Motoi, and together they spend much of their time nurturing a collection of bonsai at their home in Vancouver.
Combining both his passion for art and his deep affection of the natural world, Mikhail has set his intention on painting landscapes that express the beautiful British Columbia scenery that surrounds his daily life.