Using a style they call Transfigurism, Kawano and Loy have found a new way to use the computer as part of their creative process, combining Adobe PhotoShop techniques, photography, objects, scanning, and self-developed image-to-media transfer with oil painting and other traditional methods. As a result, Transfigurist art exhibits a unique, compelling vibrancy previously unseen in the art world. For example, "Graceful Passage" features an image of an ancient, moss-covered stone Buddha gazing serenely over an ephemeral Buddhist monk, who appears to be moving from one world to the next, evoking the impermanence of the human body juxtaposed with the eternal, spiritual realm.

"As the founders of the new artistic movement they call Transfigurism, Kawano and Loy have fused traditional and Adobe PhotoShop techniques to create original pieces of striking sensuality and warmth," observes Susan Hillhouse, Curator of Art at the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara. Unlike pure digital art, Transfigurism uses the computer as a stepping-stone in the artistic process, disproving the preconception that "digital" means "reproducible" or "unoriginal." Each piece starts from a unique image or object and, when finished, is visually and creatively distinct. The process of integrating digital output with natural organic media - with its natural differences in color, grain, texture and other variables - is to a certain extent unpredictable, thus guaranteeing the uniqueness of each piece.

"New mediums have often been viewed with suspicion," says Loy. "The art community, for example, once viewed photography, as 'cheating' or 'commercial'; today, photography is recognized as a legitimate art form. The computer is no different. It's a legitimate tool for creating art, and like any other tool, it reflects the artists' vision and requires similar skill."

Another way in which Kawano and Loy differ from other artists is that they collaborate closely. Their work proves that under the right circumstance, the creation of art doesn't have to be a solitary pursuit. The two artists, who discovered soon after meeting that they shared the same vision and color palette, use their differing personalities to create a positive and constructive dynamic tension.