Artist's Statement
Eiko does not view art as her hobby: "a hobby to me means something you do for pleasure and relaxation. Art is serious...every moment is so important and precious."
Method of Working
"The way I work is to launch straight in with colour, without any underpainting or other preparation that might interfere with my spontaneity and energy."
Biographical Details
Eiko Yoshimoto was born in Okayama shortly before the Second World War. She studied English literature and drama at the Notre Dame Sacred Heart School and after her studies, worked with the Toho film company and world-famous director, Kurosawa. She gave up her film career for hairdressing which eventually brought her to the UK. Her career as an artist, however, was not launched until after the birth of her son. When he was six, she began to illustrate a children's book for him using pastels and has not stopped creating art since. Her style is strongly influenced by Monet, Degas and Turner.
Society Memberships
Other Society Memberships
Pastel Society of France
Scholarships, Awards, Prizes
Commissioned to draw the BBC Symphony Orchestra in rehearsal
In the collections of Japanese and Saudi royal families.
Exhibitions
The Pastel Society Annual Exhibition 2017
Look Again @ The Pastel Society
Other exhibitions
Solo exhibition at the Royal Opera House
Solo exhibition at Glyndebourne
Solo exhibitions in Japan (every other year)
Eiko Yoshimoto is a representational artist and teacher working in rich colours, and predominantly in pastel and charcoal. She was educated in Japan, at the Notre Dame Sacred Heart School, and then contracted to the ToHo Film Company after winning a diploma from its Tokyo Drama School.
Yoshimoto pursued a business career and taught, including a period in Malaysia, then in London from 1963. The artist began drawing and painting in the mid 1980s, attending the City & Guilds of London Art School. She was a member of the Pastel Society, also showing at the RA Summer Exhibition, Mall and Westminster Galleries, the Royal Opera House, Glyndebourne Opera House, and with the French Pastel Society in Paris. She has exhibited regularly at John Adams Fine Art over the past ten years.
Eiko was born in Okayama shortly before the Second World War.
At 18 she won a place to the Notre Dame Sacred Heart University in Tokyo, but instead studied at Toho Drama School and was contracted to the Toho Film Company and luckily had a chance to work with the renowned directer Kurosawa and legendary Mifune. In her spare time, she studied English literature at Keio University also attended art classes in the evenings.
Subsequently Eiko chose to be a hair stylist and beautician and was invited by Malaysian Government to teach hairdressing and beauty culture in Kuala Lumper and Penang, Finally she followed her relations and her dream came true to be in England.
Establishing Hair and Beauty Salons in Richmond and St JohnsWood and working with magazines, TV, and commercial advertisers as freelance make up artist and hairdresser.
Her career as an artist, however, was launched when she was inspired by her son who was small and began to write a children's book for him and instinctively illustrated it, using pastels as an exciting and direct medium as she had fallen in love with it and has not stopped creating her art ever since.
Join Eiko for a day of image making, working from cuttings and images provided, or bring in your own photographs and images to work from. The workshop will start with 10 minutes of all important body and wrist exercise.