Jiro Osuga A Bend in the River, 2019

With an ambition to create ‘a painting that is a place: a complete world in and of itself’, Japanese artist Jiro Osuga’s work tends to cast a critical, humorous eye over every aspect of contemporary life – from manhole covers to museums, cafes, airports and train stations. Often casting himself as characters in these intricate everyday scenes, his works often oscillate between the exuberant, ironic and humorous and a more melancholic, introspective tone.

Jiro Osuga was born in Tokyo and grew up in Japan and the UK. He studied Fine Art at Central St Martins, Chelsea and the Royal College of Art in London. Recent exhibitions include: The Everyday Joys of Japan: Paintings by Jiro Osuga, Charles B. Wang Center, New York; Queen’s Terrace Café, London; Japanese Embassy, London; and Streatham Festival, London. Osuga’s work is in both the Museum of London and the Royal College of Art.