The Grand Samurai, a large acrylic on canvas, is 107 inches by 98 inches and is a defining piece
for artist Brian Tomori. He has embedded one of his haikus in the painting’s upper left hand corner,
which clearly defines the action of the work: “Calm replaces fear, danger in this dance of death, the
moment of truth.”
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 151
Brian visualizes and then sketches
his ideas before transferring them to
canvas, where he uses rich, vibrant colors
and strong brush strokes and creates
thought provoking images to tell stories
that develop an emotional connection
with the viewer. Brian uses his fresh
contemporary style to give a new look
to the traditional Edo Period of Japanese
art. His irregular texturing and signature
tiling technique make his work fresh and
engaging while he uses classic geisha
subjects.
But that is only one side of this master
artist, who is equally as intriguing when
he is creating what he calls Industrial Pop
Surrealism. He combines his Japanese-
American heritage with the street smarts
and sensibility he learned in the urban
environment of the Big Apple to make
his art memorable.