Born in 1980 in Hiroshima, Japan. He graduated from Musashino Art University with an MFA. He currently lives and works in Hiroshima, Japan.
Toshiyuki Konishi works primarily in the medium of painting and works on paper, and deal with the notion of portraiture. His references go from photographs from his family albums or of people close to him and his subjects are often identified by white skin and hair and the bright red paint used to render the eyes, nose and mouth. It is often impossible to discern the characters’ race, age, sex or any other essential information that would allow us to get a sense of who they are. His works often bear within a sense of ghostly appearance, and the simply-sketched figures seem to float on the painting’s wavy, meandering brushstrokes and colour, forming a sea of memory, which never cease to stimulate the viewer’s imagination.
Although Konishi’s portraits are mainly based on the artist’s private family photographs, such as family and individuals as motifs, his interest has often transcended the realm of the smallest unit of society and portrayed a deep interest in ancient religions and animism.In his works, he has been engaged in how to reconcile his personal history and the concept of the family unit with something universal. He paints portraits, which obscure identities but capture the essence of humanity and sensuality, in the end revealing a deeper universalism that transcends portraiture.