shashasha

For about twenty years, Akira Yamaguchi has imposed a unique style of painting: a mixture of classicism and contemporary irreverence which make him one of the rare Japanese artists equally renowned inside and outside Japan. In his gigantic canvases with undeniable narrative power, we embark on a journey through time and space where we come across horse-motorcycles, samurai having tea, or even androgynous warrior divinities who stare at us with disdain. As a tribute to traditional painting and manga from the 70s, his work is not devoid of wit and even less humor. Behind the graphic demonstration, the history of Japan unfolds, peppered with a satire of globalization and progress.