Stylized Beauty, Grotesque, and Decay

Should I admire the beauty, or feel disgust? As I look at Fuyuko Matsui's paintings, I wonder...

Fuyuko Matsui – an artist whose paintings resemble frozen frames from the deepest recesses of our fears and desires. In her world, flowers bloom on dead bodies, and hair tangled with the earth rises like ghosts, inviting the viewer to contemplate the impermanence of existence. Matsui, a master of nihonga, reaches into tradition only to deconstruct it and create something that is certainly no longer traditional. Or is it? Between decay, eternal beauty, grotesque eroticism, and bloody darkness, one can see both traditional Japanese painting (nihonga) and the theme of mono no aware, already contemplated by Edo artists. Or maybe it’s something else…

Her work is not just painting; it is a philosophical journey through the meanders of eroguro – an aesthetic of grotesque, eroticism, and the unspeakable. In Matsui’s paintings, humans become landscapes – bodies stretched between transcendence and destruction. Her kusōzu, inspired by ancient Buddhist depictions of decaying bodies, reveals the inevitability of passing in its most brutal form. This is a world where beauty does not exist without suffering, and the soul reveals itself in moments of the greatest torment.

Matsui’s paintings pull the viewer into their dense, symbol-laden space, forcing them to look directly into the eyes of death, which – paradoxically – throbs with life. It’s a tale of boundaries that break under the pressure of pain, but also of strength that arises from collapse. In these stylish images, there’s something that calls – something that eludes reason but mercilessly draws you in like a magnet. Shall we take a glance?

Who Is Matsui?

When you see Fuyuko Matsui in photos, the first thing that stands out is her long, straight hair, as if taken from the dark traditions of Japanese kwaidan, though beautiful and well-maintained, contrasting with her alabaster skin. There is something ethereal about her. Her gaze – somewhat hazy, as if always elsewhere – is intriguing. Even her gaze allows space for interpretation. There is a certain enigmatic seriousness in her, a subtle elegance, which, combined with her often minimalist black attire, enhances her aura of mystery and contemplation.

So, who is Fuyuko Matsui? At first glance – an artist with an unusual grace, but behind her calm face lies a mind unafraid to confront the darkest aspects of human existence. Matsui is a contemporary master of nihonga painting, who not only revives this ancient tradition but deconstructs and transforms it into something entirely new. She is known for creating works that balance on the thin line between beauty and horror, life and death. Her art, marked by a fascination with decay, impermanence, and transcendence, delves deep into the human psyche, drawing the viewer into an unsettling yet hypnotic world of eroguro – the aesthetic of grotesque and eroticism, a movement characteristic of 20th and 21st-century Japan.

Matsui was born in 1974 and studied painting at the prestigious Tokyo University of the Arts, where she gained recognition for her bold approach to nihonga tradition. Her works are full of symbolism – depicting decaying bodies, flowers in full bloom, and human anatomies in surreal and deconstructed forms. Matsui combines Buddhist themes of impermanence with European grotesque aesthetics, creating works that are both philosophical and shocking.

Roots in Tradition – Nihonga and the Deconstruction of Aesthetics

Fuyuko Matsui draws from nihonga, a traditional Japanese painting style that emerged in the late 19th century in response to Western art influences. Nihonga, based on techniques used for centuries in Japan, referred to the aesthetics of local motifs, ink, silk, and mineral pigments, representing Japan’s voice in the dialogue with the dominant currents of Western painting at the time. Matsui, as a master of this style, not only taps into this rich tradition but uses it to consciously break its conventions. The tradition, which initially aimed to defend Japan’s national identity, is transformed in her hands, taking on new, often unsettling dimensions.

Matsui, while working within the confines of this style, modifies the aesthetic that traditionally served to emphasize the harmony and beauty of nature. Instead of classic landscapes, her paintings feature motifs of decaying bodies, flowers blooming on rotting remains, and symbolic images that connect with Western traditions of anatomy and grotesque. Drawing from Japanese Buddhism, especially the idea of life’s impermanence, Matsui scrutinizes the very concept of beauty, revealing what is usually hidden and unspoken – the body becomes a medium through which the artist conducts philosophical reflections on impermanence, death, and transcendence.

One of the key elements in her work is the aesthetic of fujōkan (不浄観 – “contemplation of impurity”), reflections on the decay of the body practiced in Buddhist meditative rituals. Matsui is inspired by kusōzu (九相図 – “the nine-phase decomposition”), ancient paintings depicting various stages of human body decomposition, but in her version, this process transforms into a profound meditation on the boundaries of life and death. In her works, the body is no longer merely a vessel of beauty but becomes a field of philosophical experimentation, where the aesthetics of decay take on a new, unexpected dimension.

Before delving into the depths of the philosophy hidden in her paintings, however, let’s take a closer look at the paintings themselves.

"Becoming Friends with All the Children of the World"

世界中の子と友達になれる

(Sekai Jū no Ko to Tomodachi ni Nareru)

A painting by Fuyuko Matsui draws the viewer into a mystical, melancholic world. At first glance, the scene seems idyllic, almost unreal. A young woman, dressed in a white dress, walks into a thicket of lush, violet fuji flowers (藤 – wisteria in Polish), cascading down like curtains between reality and a dream. With a gentle, thoughtful expression, she touches one of the flowers as if trying to feel it, to enter into an intimate connection with it. It’s a gesture both tender and full of thought. Her hands are stained red, which causes unease – are the flowers bleeding, or is it merely an echo of the heroine’s internal wound?

Next to the woman, in the shadows on the right side, we see an empty baby stroller. This symbol yanks the viewer from this dreamily beautiful landscape. We are brutally awakened. The stroller seems forgotten, abandoned, suggesting some kind of loss – perhaps emotional, or maybe physical. This combination of life (flowers, young woman) and absence (empty stroller) creates a sense of dissonance, introducing a dark aura that contrasts with the surface beauty of the scene.

Philosophically, the painting seems to explore the boundaries between innocence and experience, between life and death. The young woman symbolizes the delicacy and fleeting nature of life, while the red-stained hands and empty stroller suggest suffering or loss. As in many of her works, Matsui deconstructs traditional aesthetics of beauty, introducing elements of discomfort that force the viewer into deeper contemplation. The wisteria, which typically symbolizes longevity and elegance, here seems both a shelter and shackles, pulling the figure toward the earth, toward mortality.

This painting is a meditation on the fragility of life, a reminder that beauty is always intertwined with pain, and life is inextricably linked to its end. It also reminds us of the illusion of superficial beauty and peace, as beneath this outer layer, pain, suffering, and terrible loss may lurk (blood on the hands, an empty stroller).

"Maintaining Purity"

浄相の持続

(Jōsō no Jizoku)

The painting "Maintaining Purity" depicts a young woman lying in a field, surrounded by blooming flowers. Her body is open, as if subjected to an anatomical dissection, with her internal organs – rendered with extraordinary precision – unnaturally protruding from her body. However, instead of evoking disgust, the painting elicits a certain fascination. Fuyuko Matsui, though addressing the theme of bodily decay and destruction, does so in a way that is neither brutal nor overt. The internal organs resemble carefully assembled puzzles, and the female figure seems almost idealized. There’s no blood, no brutality, yet it is impossible to forget that this is a depiction of a body in the process of decay.

The flowers around the woman, though beautiful, simultaneously symbolize her transience. The use of fuji flowers recalls their symbolic meaning of longevity, but in this context, they seem to mock the hope for eternity – a joke on humanity’s dreams of its own eternity. Everything that lives will eventually rot and disappear, they seem to say. Matsui creates a paradox – her grotesque depiction of the body does not incite terror but rather intrigues with its beauty. Instead of repelling, the painting draws the viewer in, prompting reflection on the fragility of the human body, which, though capable of creating new life, is itself fragile and susceptible to destruction.

In this painting, Matsui once again plays with the boundaries between beauty and grotesque. The female body, though open and exposed to view, does not reflect suffering or pain but rather presents an almost idealized anatomical model. This lack of realism is typical of Japanese painting, where precision of form is more important than a realistic depiction of the world.

Destroy to Heal This Disease

この疾患を治癒させるために破壊する

(Kono Shikkan o Chiyu Saseru Tame ni Hakai Suru)

Fuyuko Matsui's painting, "Deliberately Caused Deficiency or Excess," immerses the viewer in an exceptionally complex and contradictory world. At first glance, one can see cherry blossoms reflected on the surface of the water, distorted by movement and the shadows of night. This subtle, ethereal beauty is juxtaposed with deep, impenetrable blackness, creating a central point that draws the eye while simultaneously evoking unease. The reflections of the blooming cherries seem to swirl around a void, as if drawn by a black hole, instantly conjuring associations with impermanence and doom.

The composition of the painting gives the impression of symmetry – as if we were looking at the scene through a mirror – which intensifies the mystical atmosphere of the work. Yet, within this apparent harmony, there lies something dark, something that makes the viewer question what lies beneath the surface. The cherry blossoms, which traditionally symbolize the transience and beauty of life, lose their innocent meaning in Matsui’s painting. Their reflections seem to interact ominously with the black space, suggesting an inevitable downfall and destruction.

The painting is, like life in our age – an excess of information that floods us and a simultaneous lack of real ability to grasp what is essential. It’s as if perception itself is overwhelmed, shattered by the excess of stimuli we surround ourselves with daily. The viewer, lost in this visual labyrinth, tries to extract meaning, but every step seems to lead deeper into the darkness. It’s a trap of perception – the complexity of the image draws you in but simultaneously makes understanding it elusive.

The Body as a Field of Transcendence and Destruction

The work of Fuyuko Matsui serves as a reflective meditation on the body – a place where the forces of transcendence and destruction meet. In her kusōzu series, inspired by Buddhist depictions of body decomposition, the body becomes not just a physical form, but a battlefield between life and death, beauty and destruction. Matsui uses the body as a tool to explore fundamental questions about what it means to be human, both biologically and spiritually. Her paintings convey the idea that although the body is mortal, it also carries the ability to transcend, to go beyond its physical, impermanent form.

The central theme in Matsui's work is the female body, which, in her interpretation, becomes a place of suffering, transgression, and sometimes even self-destruction. In works like those from the kusōzu series, the woman's body is subjected to decomposition, yet this act of destruction is not presented solely as a final end, but paradoxically, as something liberating. Self-mutilation, symbolically and literally present in some of her works, can be both an expression of escape from societal norms and expectations, and an act of clear defiance – a fight to regain control over one’s own body. It is a transgression that surpasses the boundaries of physicality, becoming a form of ultimate rebellion against the limitations imposed by society.

One of the key elements in Matsui’s paintings is her precise depiction of anatomy, which refers to the aesthetic of art associated with seppuku rituals – the ritual suicide of Japanese warriors (more on this: Seppuku) – as well as the European tradition of anatomical models from the Renaissance and Baroque eras. In her work, we see the body cut open, exposed, almost as if on an operating table, yet still full of dignity and mystery. This symbolism reflects a fascination with both the destructive aspects of corporeality and the transcendence that arises from it. Matsui transforms the body into a symbol. However, unlike Western traditions where the body is viewed as an object of beauty or a tool of artistic form, in her works, the body becomes a site of philosophical debate about the boundaries of existence.

The most important questions Matsui poses in her paintings concern what remains of a person when the body – as a physical object – begins to decay. Is the body merely a sum of organs, which inevitably undergo a process of destruction over time, or does it carry something more? In Matsui’s paintings, the body is not just a biological mechanism, but a space where humanity manifests itself – the invisible, the transcendent. Even in moments of decay, the body becomes a site for discussing the nature of existence.

Eroticism and Grotesque

The work of Fuyuko Matsui is deeply rooted in the aesthetic of eroguro, a concept that emerged in Japan in the early 20th century, combining elements of eroticism, grotesque, and unease, exploring the darker aspects of human nature. Eroguro, an abbreviation of ero guro nansensu (eroticism, grotesque, nonsense), became one of the key interpretative tools in analyzing her works, which balance on the boundary between what is alluring and what is repulsive. Matsui develops this concept, creating paintings that deconstruct aesthetic norms, confronting the viewer with difficult questions about beauty, the body, and sexuality.

In a literary context, Matsui’s work is often compared to the works of authors such as Edogawa Rampo and Tanizaki Jun’ichirō, who explored deviance, horror, and a fascination with destruction. Rampo, as a pioneer of Japanese detective and grotesque literature, introduced themes of fetishizing the body, deformation, and sexual obsession, which are reflected in Matsui’s surreal and disturbing paintings. Similarly, Tanizaki, known for his subtle analysis of the darkness of the human soul, also inspired Matsui in her reflections on corporeality, power, and impermanence. In works like Scattered Deformities in the End (終極にある異体の散在), Matsui portrays the body as a site of disintegration and transformation, creating a delicate, though terrifying emotional landscape that simultaneously attracts and repels.

Matsui transforms eroguro in a unique way, introducing a delicacy into her works that does not exclude brutality. Her paintings are both subtle and terrifying – on one hand, they display the beauty of the body, while on the other, they depict the dehumanization through the process of decay and suffering. Balancing between eroticism and disgust, the artist explores the dynamics of power over the body and sexuality, reversing traditional aesthetic and power roles that, in art, typically rely on the fetishization of the female body. In Matsui’s paintings, the woman, though subjected to suffering, retains control over her corporeality – her body becomes both a victim and a source of strength.

Thus, Matsui’s paintings can be seen as a kind of catharsis, a cleansing through the experience of pain, but also as an act of fetishizing suffering. Her art raises questions about whether the portrayal of a suffering body is a form of liberation or rather an object of cultural fetish. Matsui does not provide simple answers – her paintings, filled with conflicting emotions, invite reflection on the complexity of human nature, both physical and spiritual.

The Motif of Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Decay

Pregnancy in Fuyuko Matsui’s work takes on a particularly complex, ambivalent dimension. For the artist, the fetus is not only a symbol of new life but also an allegory of destruction, conflict, and impermanence. In her works, pregnancy becomes an act of both creation and self-destruction – a creative paradox that reveals both potential and the inevitable fragility of life. In her paintings, Matsui elevates pregnancy to a symbolic level, where it becomes a metaphor not only for the biological process but also for internal turmoil, loss, and regeneration. The fetus, as an incomplete being, becomes in her works a visual form of philosophical reflections on beginnings and endings.

One of the most controversial motifs in Matsui’s work is scenes in which women vomit fetuses or display open bellies, revealing their insides. These images are filled with unease. They depict a destructive act that can be interpreted as an attempt to defend against pain and suffering, but also as an expression of female strength and regenerative power. Vomiting fetuses is a dramatic and symbolic act, portraying femininity in a moment of confrontation with its own body and its boundaries.

In Matsui’s work, open bellies and fetuses are not only depictions of physicality but also metaphors for existential struggles, where the body becomes a battlefield between life and death. The artist, by exploring the motif of miscarriage and decay, emphasizes that destruction and creation are inextricably linked – two sides of the same coin. The female body, being a source of life, simultaneously becomes the stage for its end, but in this ambivalence lies a profound power. In Matsui’s work, the woman is not a victim.

Flowers and Hair

The floral motifs appearing in Fuyuko Matsui’s paintings bring to mind the works of old Edo period masters such as Itō Jakuchū. However, where Jakuchū celebrates the beauty of nature in full bloom, Matsui focuses on its withering and decadence. Flowers in her work, like the body, become a metaphor for the cyclical nature of life and death, impermanence and decay. Matsui breaks classical notions of nature, combining them with the process of decomposition, which introduces a disturbing aesthetic where the beauty of fading becomes a visual reflection of human mortality. Flowers, usually associated with life and rebirth, in her works become symbols of inevitable decline, drawing the eye with their subtle yet drastic transformation.

Hair in Matsui’s work plays as symbolic a role as flowers, though its meaning is even more complex. It is not only a decorative element but, above all, a metaphor for life, death, sexuality, and transcendence. Long, tangled hair, often flowing toward the ground, symbolizes human fragility and sensuality, but also the connection between the body and nature, matter and spirit. Hair, one of the last elements of the human body to decompose, in Matsui’s art becomes a bridge between life and death, between the present and eternity.

Transcending Boundaries

Fuyuko Matsui’s work is an attempt to break traditional boundaries between body and soul, between the physical and the spiritual. In an era that increasingly celebrates modernity while simultaneously longing for the spirituality of traditional methods, Matsui places the body at the center of her artistic and philosophical exploration. Her paintings bear witness to the interpenetration of these two spheres, where the body becomes not only a vessel for life but also a medium through which something deeper – transcendence, a spiritual journey – is revealed.

Matsui is not afraid to depict self-destruction as a form of transcendence. The body in her works is often deformed, open, decaying – but this is not a process of downfall, rather a passage to a higher reality. Decay becomes a symbolic gateway through which the soul can transcend the boundaries of mortality and pain. In this context, self-destruction is not the end but a form of rebirth – the rejection of physical limitations and the opening to new, spiritual dimensions of existence.

In an era of modernity, where fear of death becomes less present thanks to medicine, technology, and the nature of contemporary culture, Matsui provocatively asks: have we really stopped fearing death, or are we still afraid of pain? Her paintings force reflection on where true humanity lies in a world that has seemingly mastered the fear of the end but still avoids confrontation with suffering. By presenting corporeality in its purest, sometimes terrifying form, Matsui asks us whether we can understand our own nature without facing the pains of body and soul.

Conclusion

Fuyuko Matsui’s work, in its layered depth, forces us to look directly at what we usually try to ignore – in the mirror of her grotesque compositions reflects the essence of humanity. These paintings are like visual labyrinths, in which we lose ourselves between beauty and destruction, between life and decay, compelling us to reflect on our true nature.

The grotesque in Matsui’s interpretation is not merely an aesthetic game, but a space where we can examine our deepest fears, uncertainties, and desires. Every act of self-destruction in her works is not only the destruction of the body but also the symbolic exposure of the soul. In this deconstruction, we find something more than just a dark spectacle – it is a bold attempt to understand what is unknowable within us, what constantly changes, and yet remains unchangingly human.

By leading the viewer into her paintings, Matsui invites us into a deep contemplation of what we usually avoid. It is not only about accepting the inevitability of death but about finding strength in it, about looking suffering in the eye, and understanding that it is in these moments of extreme fragility and pain that we discover the most about ourselves.

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 A connoisseur of Asian culture with a deep-seated appreciation for various philosophies of the world. By education, psychologist and Korean philologist. By heart, an Android developer and an ardent tech aficionado. In tranquil moments, he champions a disciplined way of life, firmly believing that steadfastness, perpetual self-enhancement, and a dedication to one's passions is a sensible path for life.

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(aka Michał Sobieraj)

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