Introduction
Matthew Phinn studied Fine Art at the University of Leeds, after which he moved to Japan, where he worked for seven years as an artist and painting teacher.
Phinn's watercolours are characterised by their large scale and technique drawn from both traditional English landscape and elements of Japanese art such as Sumie ink painting (which he studied in Saitama Prefecture).
Unlike a conventionally Western approach to landscape painting, Japanese proportions and brushes are used and realistic images often lead into areas of stylisation and abstraction. The sizes of the paintings are increasingly large, reaching up to 2 metres in width.
Phinn has regularly exhibited in Japan as well as California, Ireland and Bermuda.
Phinn has been selected for the national Japanese watercolour exhibition three times, was awarded the International Cultural Foundations prize in Hiroshima in 2006, and the Certificate of Merit in Tokyo in 2008.
This year he has been shortlisted for the Sunday Times Watercolour Competition, set to be exhibited at the Mall Galleries, London in November.
He lives and works in London.
To see a selection of Matthew's paintings, please click here.