09 April 2013

A visual symphony from the Land of the Rising Sun

Submitted by: Michelle Haarhoff

Fotolia presents TEN Season 2’s 4th digital artist, Marumiyan

 A free PSD of his artwork, "ON", will be available to download for 24 hours on April 10th

Fotolia’s TEN Season 2 is taking Internet users on a digital art tour around the world, led by some of the world’s greatest artists. Every selected TEN artist all comes from a country in which Fotolia has offices.  Two artists, whose identities remain a secret, will be added to the group of 10 artists, for a total of 12 artists. Once a month, every month, a different artist will showcase their skills and creativity.  PSDs from the first three months of 2013, by artists Gustavo Brigante, Soonguy Gwon and Adhemas Batista were downloaded over 75 000 times.  This April, Marumiyan from Japan unveils his creation.  The PSD file for his design will be available for free download on Wednesday, April 10th, for 24 hours at www.tenbyfotolia.com.

Music is his muse

Marumiyan gets his inspiration from music: “I love painting sounds,” he says. Even his pseudonym is inspired by its resonance. The Kyushu Sangyo School of Fine Arts graduate was quickly noticed by international design and art magazines such as Juxtapoz, New Web Pick, Artskills, to name a few.  With skills beyond his years, the 27-year-old has already participated in several expositions and international art collectives; published a book “Photoshop and Illustrator Artworks”, edited by MdN; and organized the visuals for one of Japan’s biggest live festivals, Minami Wheel.

He is a free-lance worker: “it’s easier to create your own signature style,” he explains.  His style is decorative, and he uses flowers, animals and women to enhance his artwork. To him, the reflect a natural sophistication which has allowed him to work for clients such as Wacom, Panasonic and NTT Docomo.

An artist at heart

Born in Fukuoka, Japan, where he still lives, Marumiyan was exposed to art such as painting and drawing by his father from a young age.  The family library is full of art books, and family outings often included trips to the museum.  The creative process is a part of the artist’s soul: “I love the process of creating the art, rather than the outcome of having a piece of art.  I tend to get bored once the piece is almost finished,” he says.  Marumiyan uses collage techniques to blend photos and paint, strives to find a balance between the two, and then manipulates the colors.  His work is found in a variety of different formats – posters, brochures, web sites, CD covers.  For Marumiyan, the form is secondary to the joy of creation.

For TEN, Marumiyan showcases Japanese elegance and style

“I took on the TEN project because I found it interesting. I figured I could create even more elaborate and attractive photomontages through the use of Fotolia’s images.  The images make the artwork more powerful.  As a graphic design teacher, I also appreciate the learning and pedagogical aspect of the project, which helps others learn,” he explains.His design for TEN, entitled “ON”, is built around Japan’s iconic bonsai tree, and eloquently built around his theme of choice: sound.  Complete with speakers, amplifiers and cables, Marumiyan’s visual symphony is a sight to be seen – and heard.

Meet the artist

Two videos were filmed in Japan, presenting the artist and his lifestyle, and another to present the techniques used in the making of his design.  The first video presents a short biography of the artist and his vision, and will be released on the TEN Facebook page on April 9. In the second short film, the artist shares the techniques he used to create the graphic, and will be available on Youtube alongside the PSD file. Watch it on www.tenbyfotolia.com, or on TEN’s Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/tencollectionon April 10th. Subtitles for both videos are available in 12 languages.

About TEN:

TEN is a creative, digital and educational project created by Fotolia in 2011, and aiming at democratizing digital art. TEN, as in 10 artists, 10 countries, 10 months and 10 PSDs. This unprecedented project allows every web user to download, for free and for 24 hours, the source file in PSD format of ten of the best worldwide digital artists, and thus to discover his/her work techniques, and cultural influence. Each user can access the ensemble of layers, graphic elements, and style effects held in each PSD, appropriate them to use them in his/her own works. This community initiative was born from cooperation between Fotolia and two well-known graphic communities: Wisibility and Amkashop. TEN is also supported by national and international partners, such as DesignTimes, Adobe, Behance, Wacom.

Learn more on www.tenbyfotolia.com