The Pleasure Quarters Painting

PHILIPPE COUTURE - 1984 Philippe Couture was born in Drummondville, Canada and raised in Lakeland, Florida where he began drawing and painting at a young age. In 2011, Phil and his wife Rachel moved to Japan, where he studied and painted for 7 years in both the northern region of Aomori and the ancient capital of Kyoto. In 2018, Phil left Asia for Europe and currently resides in Wrocław, Poland. Both 19th century European realism and 17th-19th century Japanese "Ukiyo-e" wood block prints have been a primary influence on Phil's artwork. His work strives to incorporate the Japanese genre of "Bijin-ga" or "pictures of beautiful women" and his style could be described as impressionistic realism. Having lived for 6 years next to Kyoto's oldest active geisha district, Kamishichiken, Phil naturally became fascinated by geisha and maiko culture. His time in Japan made an indelible impression on his life and artwork. Primarily self-taught, Phil's art education consisted of drawing and painting from life, studying masterpieces in museums around the world, and employing exercises and techniques taught by classical ateliers. Among his influences are Velasquez, Sargent, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Waterhouse, Mucha, Utamaro, and Hiroshige. Aside from studio work, Phil also enjoys painting and drawing outdoors on location whenever he travels. A major component to Phil’s life and art is traveling to unfamiliar places. "I enjoy painting and drawing what piques my interest, which usually includes visiting cultures from around the world." Whether it is painting geisha from Japan, holy men from Nepal, temples in Hong Kong or the rocky shores of Greece, Phil’s artwork is an expression of his experiences and what he finds compelling. Among the accolades he’s received are: -BoldBrush Award in the August 2013 BoldBrush Competition -Best of Show in the 2013 BoldBrush Competition -1st Place in Artist Portfolio Magazine's 2014 Realism Art Exhibition -1st place in 's "Cultural Diversity" 2016 Competition -Finalist Award in the December 2014 RayMar Art Contest -Finalist Award in the 2018 ARC International Salon and inclusion in the 13th ARC Salon traveling exhibition in New York City, L.A. and Barcelona. Phil has exhibited artwork in solo and group shows internationally. Aside from public exhibitions, his work hangs internationally in private collections.