山本隆博
Takahiro YAMAMOTO
Art Basel Hong Kong 2023
TAKAHIRO YAMAMOTO ARTIST PROFILE
Since starting his artistic career in 2006, Yamamoto has focused on painting mass-produced postcards and old photographs. The artist takes great care and time, capturing even the finest details, almost as if they’re capturing the particles of ink itself. The reproduced paintings are so meticulously crafted that they are indistinguishable from the originals. Despite being copies, these works possess an intense sense of realism and tranquility, achieving a unique quality of their own. In the process, he first examined the relationship between originals and reproductions based on Walter Benjamin’s theory. In parallel with the ever-developing reproduction technology, three series have been developed, on each of which he takes a different position.
In “Where the artificial stops and the real starts” he has shown his acceptance of reproduction technology, in “Re-view” he has questioning stance, and in “Aging Painting” he has proven that achieving uniqueness is possible even with reproductions, transcending the position of approval or disapproval.
Where the artificial stops and the real starts
Mountain 186x232cm pencil, watercolor on board, postcard, inkjet print on photopaper
“Where the artificial stops and the real starts” is a series that brings together a collection of old photographs, arranged symmetrically along with their reversed prints. Among them, there is one authentic drawing created by the artist themselves, hidden within the collection.
This series highlights how easily things can be categorized under false assumptions, and how such judgments can lead to meanings that differ from the truth, revealing the dangers of such misinterpretations. Additionally, the meticulously crafted reproduced paintings are impossible to distinguish from the originals, to the point where they have essentially replaced the original works. This challenges the reliability of human perception itself. Furthermore, this also symbolizes today’s world, where information is easily pulled from the internet, reproduced, modified, and stored repeatedly. In a reality where it’s becoming harder to distinguish what is ‘real’ (original), what do ‘authenticity’ and ‘truth’ actually refer to anymore?
Re: view
Redistribution pencil, watercolor and onboard 40x40cm 2015
In the “Re: view” series, he uses old portrait photographs of the deceased. This draws attention to the fact that original information left on the web is accumulated, referenced, quoted, and tagged, causing reproductions to circulate regardless of the era or the thoughts of the individuals, their families, or friends who lived through that time.
At times, anyone can become both a victim and a perpetrator, and personal information can be misused. Through the metaphor of re and recycling that continues almost indefinitely after a person’s death, he expresses these issues using the analog medium of painting. In doing so, he captures a certain reality of the information-driven society we live in.
Aging Painting
Untitled oil on canvas 60.6×91cm 2022
“Aging Painting” was created in response to the way the absolute concept of ‘originality’ has begun to waver due to various fake phenomena.
In Aging Painting series, a single motif is selected from among mass-produced products, such as postcards or photographs, and painted in oil in an enlarged size, then given aging effects that are not present in the motif. While these works originated as reproductions, they have acquired time aging quality that is unique to such works. Further, they are beautiful and precious works of art that have been enlarged and painted with extraordinary precision. Namely, it becomes the only authentic work of art that is neither an original nor even reproduction.
We can’t help but reflect on the relationship between the original and its reproduction, and the truth and fake, and how easily our perception of them can fluctuate. While inheriting Benjamin’s perspective on the loss of the original’s superiority, the artist approaches his work with the belief that reproductions, too, can possess their own uniqueness.
1984 鳥取県生まれ
2005 鳥取県立倉吉東高等学校卒業
2006～2009 スペインで学ぶ
2012～2013 シンガポールで活動後、拠点を大阪に移す
2016～ ニューヨークにて活動
現在 日本にて活動
■個展
2013 GALLERY小暮・東京
2014 VOLTA NY ・ニューヨーク
Art Basel Hong Kong・香港
2015 OUTSIDER ART FAIR 2015 New York・ニューヨーク
2016 「The genuine truth behind truths」GALLERY KOGURE NEW YORK・ニューヨーク
「The genuine truth behind truths」LOWER AKIHABARA.・東京
ART 16・ロンドン
2017 「Aging painting」GALLERY KOGURE NEW YORK・ニューヨーク
2018 「Aging painting」GALLERY 小暮・東京
■グループ展
2010 「Neo Realism」Bunkamura Gallery・東京
2011 「Daydream」GALLERY小暮・東京
2013 「Cross Encounters: A collaboration of artists from Singapore and Japan」Japan Creative Center・シンガポール
「韜晦ﾑ巧術其ノ肆名（とうかい−こうじゅつそのよん）」スパイラル・東京
2014 「縹渺〜巧術其之伍（ひょうびょう〜こうじゅつそのご）」スパイラル・東京
2015 「巧術其之六」ギャラリー点・金沢
2016 「巧術其之七」スパイラル・東京
■アートフェア
2010 「ART TAIPEI」台湾
2011 「ART HONG KONG」香港
「ART TAIPEI」台湾
2012 「NEW CITY ART FAIR NEW YORK」ニューヨーク
「Art O’clock」パリ
2015 「ART STAGE SINGAPORE」シンガポール
「ART FAIR TOKYO」東京
「ART TAIPEI」台湾
2016 「ART STAGE SINGAPORE」シンガポール
「ART FAIR TOKYO」東京
2017 「ART CENTRAL」香港
「ART FAIR TOKYO」東京
「ART FAIR PHILIPPINES」（フィリピン、2018年、2019年、2020年）
「ART STAGE JAKARTA」（ジャカルタ）
「ART STAGE SINGAPORE」（シンガポール）
2018 「ART STAGE SINGAPORE」（シンガポール）
「ART CANTRAL」（香港）
「ART OSAKA」（大阪）
「P/CAS PARIS CONTEMPORARY ART SHOW By YIA International Art Fair」（パリ）
2019 「JINGART」（北京）
「Art Fair Philippines」（フィリピン）
2020 「Art Fair Philippines」（フィリピン）
2021 「Art Fair Tokyo」（東京）
2022 「ART OSAKA」（大阪）
「Art Fair Tokyo」（東京）
2023 「Art Basel Hong Kong」（香港）
2024 「Xavier Art Fest」（マニラ）
「Art Fair Tokyo」（東京）
「Kiaf SEOUL」（ソウル）
「POSITIONS Berlin」（ベルリン）
「artKYOTO」（京都）
1984 Born in Tottori prefecture, Japan
2005 Graduated from Kurayosi Higashi High School
2006-2009 Studied 3 years in Madrid Spain learning drawing and painting.
2012-2013 Stayed in Singapore.
2016- worked in New York
Now working in Japan
■Solo Exhibition
2013 “Where the artifical spots and the real atarts” / GALLERY KOGURE, Tokyo
2014 VOLTA NY, New York
Art Basel Hong Kong, Hong Kong
2015 OUTSIDER ART FAIR, New York
2016 “The genuine truth behind truths” / GALLERY KOGURE, New York
“The genuine truth behind truths” / LOWER AKIHABARA., Tokyo
ART16, London
2017 “Aging painting” / GALLERY KOGURE, New York
2018 “Aging painting” / GALLERY KOGURE, Tokyo
■Group Exhibition
2010 “Neo Realism” / Bunkamura Gallery, Tokyo
2011 “Daydream” / GALLERY KOGURE, Tokyo
2013 “KOH-JUTSU vol.4” / Spiral Garden, Tokyo
“Cross Encounters : A collaboration of seven artists from Singapore and Japan” / Japan Creative Center, Singapore
2014 “KOH-JUTSU vol.5” / Spiral Garden, Tokyo
2015 “KOH-JUTSU vol.6” / GALLERY TEN, Kanazawa, Japan
“Mirror Man”/ GALLERY KOGURE, Tokyo
■Art Fairs
2010 ART TAIPEI / Taipei (2015)
2011 ART HONG KONG / Hong Kong
ART TAIPEI / Taipei
2012 NEW CITY ART FAIR NEW YORK / New York
2014 Art Basel Hong Kong / Hong Kong (2023)
Art O’clock / Paris
2015 ART STAGE SINGAPORE / Singapore (2016, 2017, 2018)
ART FAIR TOKYO / Tokyo (2016, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2024)
2017 ART CENTRAL, Hong Kong
ART FAIR PHILIPPINES / Philippines (2018, 2019, 2020)
ART STAGE JAKARTA / Jakarta
2018 ART CENTRAL / Hong Kong
ART OSAKA / Osaka (2022)
P/CAS PARIS CONTEMPORARY ART SHOW By YIA International Art Fair / Paris
2019 JINGART / Beijing
2024 Xavier Art Fest / Philippines
Kiaf SEOUL / Seoul
POSITIONS Berlin / Berlin
artKYOTO / Kyoto