Art has no rules, or as many say, there is no definite form of art. One might prefer the use of a paintbrush to give a stroke or even use their fingers instead; then there is digital art. There are plenty of platforms available to bring out the artist inside every individual. Even though there are so many options for everyone, there’s always a common drawback- the expense. Let’s face it, art is really expensive! The relative cost of the materials or the graphics software, and a vast amount of time has to be spent behind every masterpiece. The result can be quite time-consuming and expensive for many buyers in today’s world. For instance, although rickshaw art has always been a prime attraction of Bangladeshi art, there are artists struggling to survive in the era of cheaper digital prints.
In a world of expensive materials, Tatsuo Horiuchi at the age of 60, found a unique idea. After his retirement, he found a cheap way to pursue his passion of arts. He chose a platform that is very basic but unknown to most people- Microsoft Excel. In most computers, Microsoft Office is an integral part; completely pre-installed for use. People often used Excel- at work- to create graphs. This actually inspired Horiuchi to construct something new. He turned to this software to create his own budget art, which soon gained immense popularity. He soon turned into the “Michelangelo of Microsoft Excel”.
At first, he faced much criticism from people. Many blamed him for wasting his time and efforts on rather ‘useless things’. When he could’ve been crushed by other people’s negative remarks, he redirected all his energy in proving his point. The word ‘Fool’ instead of discouraging him, made him accept a 10-years’ challenge in the year 2000. Within a decade he wanted to create something in Microsoft Excel; something he could proudly show everyone.
Without any prior knowledge, Horiuchi taught himself to bring out beautiful natural scenarios in Excel spreadsheets. The line tools that created graphs, now created mountains and trees, and the gradient of different shades was the result of the bucket tool. His extraordinary approaches depicted the cultural and natural inheritances of Japan, which soon drew people’s attention. His interest in Japanese style graphic arts soon turned into a success story as he won the first position in the Autoshape Art Contest back in 2006. With this competition, he managed to prove himself within a timespan of six years.
Since then, he hasn’t looked back. His experimental ideas turned out to be something fruitful. The graph and report making software Excel, is now being used by many to create wonderful art pieces. In 2014, Tatsuo Horiuchi affiliated with ‘Spoon & Tamago’- an international blog featuring Japanese art and cultures. All of Horiuchi’s works are now available for sale and Spoon & Tamago is the sole distributor of these masterpieces outside Japan. Horiuchi is now the inspiration of many, who are choosing to learn art in Microsoft Excel.