Beautiful mural offers a sea
of color at Bowery & Houston
Photos by Tequila Minsky
The giant mural created at the corner of Bowery and Houston Street.
BY TEQUILA MINSKY
To the applause of a few witnesses,
Tomokazu Matsuyama
fi nished up his wall art around
noon, adding his name “Matsu 19” in
the upper right corner of the 60-by-20
foot mural on the northwest corner of
Houston and Bowery.
It took the artist plus 10 assistants
two weeks at 12 hours a day to complete.
He wanted passersby to be a
presence while the public art piece was
being created.
“I try to capture who we are in this
digital age,” said the Greenpoint-based
Matsuyama, whose colorful design incorporates
many genres.
When asked about his technique,
Matsuyama responded, “This is
where I categorize myself as a fi ne artist
not some muralist.”
He uses markers, stenciling, acrylic
and oil paint creating fi ne details adding
Japanese and American imagery as
well as textile patterns and design.
Matsuyama wanted to show the diversity
of New York culture while referencing
his own Japanese background.
He has lived in New York for 17 years.
The artist has been showcased internationally,
and has also taught at
the School of Visual Arts. He joined
renowned artists Keith Haring and
Banksy, who also painted the Houston
and Bowery wall.
Matsuyama’s next big project is to
create a 24-foot-tall sculpture of stainless
steel to be installed for the 2020
Summer Olympics at the JR Shinjuku
Station in Tokyo.
Muralist Tomokazy Matsuyama