With the increasing popularity of the information network, urbanites are accustomed to communicating with others online, gradually creating a sense of virtual reality and generating multiple identities different from the real world. Japanese artist Masato Yamaguchi explores how we should have our own identities through his paintings. The cute girl in his drawings takes selfies with her phone, getting to know herself through the lens. The audience may find some familiar shadows in “her,” which could be people around us, or even ourselves.
This exhibition “SELFY: The Complete Edition” is co-organized by CUPPAR SPACE, SH GALLERY, and +Les Lumière+, marking Masato Yamaguchi’s first solo exhibition in the Asia-Pacific region, showcasing a total of 24 pieces. The exhibition features 17 artworks from Yamaguchi’s self-portrait series “SELFY” that have been posted on social media since 2020, along with other pieces created freely by the artist, all making their physical debut at the exhibition.
Shinji Yamaguchi was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1980. Influenced by the “Shibuya-style graffiti” movement popular in Tokyo in the 1990s, he began working as a graphic designer and later debuted as an artist. In his works, the portrait style from Japanese anime is very distinct. Girls holding smartphones tilting their heads for a “selfie,” or creating close-ups with cute atmospheres through a combination of filters, reminiscent of the diverse yet unified aesthetic photos found on social media.
All the women depicted by Yamaguchi Makoto make people feel as if they are shuttling between reality and virtuality, as if you and the figures in the paintings have met somewhere at some point in time. Feel free to visit the exhibition and search for those familiar figures.
“SELFY: Full Version”
Date: From now until September 29, 2022
Time: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (Closed on Sundays)
Location: Unit 01, 1/F, Hang Wun International Centre, 44 Fragrant Leaf Road, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong
Image source and learn more: CUPPAR SPACE
