Yuki Yamamoto Exhibition

Itamuro Onsen Daikokuya

Finished

Artists

Yuki Yamamoto

In collaboration with: Keio University, Tatsuki Hayama Laboratory / Fundamentals Programme
Itamuro Onsen Daikokuya is pleased to present a solo exhibition by painter Yuki Yamamoto from 9 May to 2 June 2025. This marks the eighth occasion Yamamoto’s work will be shown at the inn.
Born in Obihiro, Hokkaido, Yamamoto completed his postgraduate studies at Hokkaido University of Education and has been based in Sapporo since. His practice spans exhibitions both in Japan and internationally. At the core of his work lies an ongoing inquiry into foundational questions: What does it mean to see? How does a painting exist?
Rather than simply pursuing visual expression, Yamamoto’s work engages deeply with the nature of sensation, perception, and consciousness. His paintings ask not what is depicted, but how it is seen.
Yamamoto’s process begins with layers of transparent acrylic medium on canvas, onto which circular motifs are applied. He then introduces voids that seem to invert these forms, followed by additional transparent layers. Through more than ten such iterations, the painting gradually takes shape.
The circle, used consistently, is chosen for its elemental strength and lack of specific semantic meaning. The resulting visual field—both flat and spatial, image and material—is constructed without rigid composition yet governed by an internal logic. There is order and intention, yet also ambiguity. This tension generates a quiet disruption of the pictorial field, shaking the conventions of painting itself.
In recent years, Yamamoto has introduced the Random Circle Drawing System (RCDS), a unique drawing process developed in collaboration with a programmer. Previously, the artist determined the placement and colour of the circles intuitively. With RCDS, countless configurations are generated algorithmically, from which Yamamoto selects compositions based on his own aesthetic sense.
Rather than delegating authorship entirely to the system, he navigates between randomness and decision-making, filtering choices through intuition, judgement, and what might be called visual ethics. This dual-layered process—of letting go and reasserting authorship—raises new questions about creative agency, expanding the conceptual depth of his paintings.
This exhibition also features collaborative works created with the Tatsuki Hayama Laboratory at Keio University. Hayama, a researcher at the intersection of mathematics, art, and technology, is known for his work in computer graphics, interaction design, and data visualisation. His books include Generative Art Created from Mathematics and The Mathematics of Real-Time Graphics. His research explores the connections between information and the body, structure and sensibility.
Initiated through the framework of the Fundamentals Programme, this collaboration seeks to generate a new perceptual experience—bridging visual contemplation and logical structure, intuition and intellect.
Yamamoto was the grand prize recipient of the fifth Daikokuya Contemporary Art Open Call Exhibition, and has since continued to present new work with Daikokuya. For this latest exhibition, approximately 20 recent works will be shown, including those created with RCDS and collaborative pieces with the Hayama Laboratory. It is a rare opportunity to encounter the full breadth of Yamamoto’s evolving practice in one place.

Schedule

May 9 (Fri) 2025-Jun 2 (Mon) 2025