ピカソやミロと肩を並べながら、
日本ではほとんど知られなかった画家がいました。

落合皎児（1948-2024）。
1968年にスペインへ渡り、バルセロナやマドリードを拠点にミロやタピエスらの刷り師として腕を磨き、家族の誕生とともに作家の道へ。西洋の技術と東洋の精神性を融合した独自の世界観を築き、世界２４カ国の画家が参加した「国際ジョアン・ミロ賞」で第一席を受賞。その後、スペイン国立図書館への永久収蔵、王立美術アカデミーによる「スペイン150人現代作家」選出など、ヨーロッパで確かな評価を得ました。

生まれた息子が４歳になった頃、息子の将来のため帰国。長野のアトリエで活動を始めるも、日本では世間に名を知られる機会に恵まれませんでした。やがて酒に溺れ、妻とも離別。それでも芸術に生きる他なかった彼は、深い孤独の中でその生涯を絵に注ぎ続けました。

2024年4月、自宅の火事により76歳でその命は突如失われました。
そうして、火災を免れた約1000点の作品群と多額の借金が息子・落合陽介ギフレに遺されます。

父と疎遠だった息子でしたが、およそ１年の逡巡を経て、父の負債を背負ってでも遺された作品を守るため相続することを決意します。その芸術の誕生を知れば知るほど、そこには自分とは切っても切れない物語があったことを知ったのです。——その旅はフジテレビ系「ザ・ノンフィクション」で放送され、再び落合皎児の名前が世に広がり始めます。2026年5月にはドイツの国際映像祭受賞作品となりました。

「鯨の落下」という言葉をご存知でしょうか？

大海で死んだ鯨は深海へ沈みながら、その血肉、骨が多様な生き物の栄養となり命を繋いでいく。息子は父の残した芸術や物語が、そんな大きな自然の生命循環のように、誰かの＋（プラス）になる仕組みを見つけることを一つの使命と考えるようになりました。それは遺された絵や父の過去と向き合う中で、人生とは何か？家族とは何か？芸術とは何か？といった多くの学びを得たことが背景にありました。

このショップ名「＋kou」には、純粋に芸術と向き合った落合皎児への尊敬の念と、遺された絵が幸せになって欲しいという願い、そしてそれが誰かの人生のプラスになってほしいという希望が込められています。

＋KOUは落合皎児という一人の芸術家が遺した「命の欠片」が、彼が描いた線と色彩が、あなたの空間で新たな呼吸を始め、日々の暮らしに穏やかな＋（プラス）をもたらすことを願っています。

※作品の売り上げは落合皎児作品の保護・管理活動に充てられます。

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There once was a painter who stood alongside greats like Picasso and Miró, yet remained virtually unknown in his homeland of Japan.

Kouji Ochiai (1948–2024).
In 1968, he moved to Spain, where he honed his craft as a master printer for Joan Miró and Antoni Tàpies in Barcelona and Madrid. With the birth of his family, he began his own journey as an artist. Developing a unique style that fused Western techniques with Eastern spirituality, he won first prize at the "International Joan Miró Drawing Award," a competition featuring artists from 24 countries. His work earned high acclaim across Europe, leading to his inclusion in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts' "150 Contemporary Spanish Artists" and the permanent collection of the National Library of Spain.

When his son turned four, Kouji returned to Japan for the sake of the boy's future. He established an atelier in Nagano, but never found the public recognition he deserved in Japan. Eventually, he fell into alcoholism and separated from his wife. Yet, with no choice but to live for his art, he continued to pour his soul into his paintings amidst profound solitude.

In April 2024, his life was tragically cut short by a fire at his home at the age of 76. What remained were approximately 1,000 artworks that survived the flames—and a mountain of debt, all left to his son, Yosuke Guifré Ochiai.

Though long estranged from his father, the son reached a decision after a year of soul-searching: he would inherit the debt to protect the art. The more he learned about the birth of these works, the more he realized they told a story inseparable from his own. This journey was featured on the documentary series "The Nonfiction," and the name Kouji Ochiai began to resonate once more. In May 2026, the documentary was honored at an international film festival in Germany.

Have you heard of the term "Whale Fall"?

When a whale dies in the great ocean and sinks to the deep sea, its flesh and bones become nutrients for countless creatures, sustaining the cycle of life. Yosuke came to see it as his mission to find a way for his father’s art and story to become a "plus" (+) for others—much like that grand, natural cycle of life. This mission was born from the many lessons he learned about life, family, and art while facing the paintings and his father's past.

The shop name "+kou" reflects a deep respect for Kouji Ochiai’s pure devotion to art, a wish for the surviving paintings to find happiness, and a hope that they bring a positive (+) influence to someone's life.

At +kou, we hope that these "fragments of life" left by Kouji Ochiai—his lines and his colors—will begin to breathe anew in your space, bringing a gentle "plus" (+) to your daily life.

Proceeds from sales are dedicated to the preservation and management of Kouji Ochiai’s artistic legacy.