Exhibition/event has ended.
Yoshihiro Takeuchi + Kazuma Yamamoto "Rule of the Game"
ANA InterContinental Tokyo
Finished
SHARE
Artists
Yoshihiro Takeuchi, Kazuma Yamamoto
ARTPLAT@Bwac JAPAN proudly presents two-artist exhibition "Rule of the Game” featuring Yoshihiro Takeuchi and Kazuma Yamamoto.
From the standpoint of expression theory, one might say that in today’s world—where the canvas seems to offer little remaining room for new possibilities—what does it mean to pursue the act of painting?
Kazuma Yamamoto is an artist who focuses on the existence and appearance of things, seeking images unbound by conventional perceptions. Born in 1998, Yamamoto belongs to the digital-native generation, and his works unconsciously reflect the spirit of the era. In today’s world, in which people constantly bombarded with a vast number of images, our modes of visual recognition are undergoing significant transformations. For Yamamoto’s generation, who grew up with a constant presence of internet, the way images are perceived differs fundamentally from that of previous generations. In his works, organic and inorganic forms depicted both objectively and conceptually where microscopic and telescopic perspectives coexist. At first glance, they resemble irregular collages, but the artist describes them as projections of visual sensation. To him, the coexistence of opposing elements is natural, and this mode embodies contemporary perception.
Yoshihiro Takeuchi uses imagery from retro video games to express subconscious recognition through painting. His signature Chain Series is inspired by the game Puyo Puyo, depicting a screen where all the "Puyos" have disappeared through a chain reaction, accompanied by the phrase “NEW GAME.” These visual captures a contemporary sense of task organization, where accomplishing one goal leads to the appearance of the next. His new Reflection Series also features compositions reminiscent of retro games. The familiar symbols from games and their trajectories, depicted at the center of the screen, reflect along precisely calculated paths—something only possible in artificially designed spaces, much like movement through a city. The background, colored with gradient hues, suggests that the gradients people commonly visualize are not products of the natural world but rather artificially constructed. In this new series, Takeuchi subtly incorporates freehand, chaotic lines into the meticulously ordered scenes. This suggests that, perhaps, everyone harbors a quiet desire to deviate from the rules imposed on them—rules that unconsciously shape our actions and color perception, crafted by others without our awareness.
Both artists engage with the history of painting—that is, its rules—while depicting the present as they see it, through the medium of painting. In this lies an attitude toward painting that diverges from merely updating the theory of expression.
“You see, in this world, there is a rule of the game.”
This line, spoken by Octave—played by Jean Renoir himself in the timeless cinematic masterpiece The Rules of the Game—is uttered in the face of a tragedy caused by unwittingly being manipulated by unseen rules. As we now witness how the social rules we once took for granted are so easily rewritten, this exhibition brings to light the “rules” embedded in our lives, prompting us toward a greater awareness.
From the standpoint of expression theory, one might say that in today’s world—where the canvas seems to offer little remaining room for new possibilities—what does it mean to pursue the act of painting?
Kazuma Yamamoto is an artist who focuses on the existence and appearance of things, seeking images unbound by conventional perceptions. Born in 1998, Yamamoto belongs to the digital-native generation, and his works unconsciously reflect the spirit of the era. In today’s world, in which people constantly bombarded with a vast number of images, our modes of visual recognition are undergoing significant transformations. For Yamamoto’s generation, who grew up with a constant presence of internet, the way images are perceived differs fundamentally from that of previous generations. In his works, organic and inorganic forms depicted both objectively and conceptually where microscopic and telescopic perspectives coexist. At first glance, they resemble irregular collages, but the artist describes them as projections of visual sensation. To him, the coexistence of opposing elements is natural, and this mode embodies contemporary perception.
Yoshihiro Takeuchi uses imagery from retro video games to express subconscious recognition through painting. His signature Chain Series is inspired by the game Puyo Puyo, depicting a screen where all the "Puyos" have disappeared through a chain reaction, accompanied by the phrase “NEW GAME.” These visual captures a contemporary sense of task organization, where accomplishing one goal leads to the appearance of the next. His new Reflection Series also features compositions reminiscent of retro games. The familiar symbols from games and their trajectories, depicted at the center of the screen, reflect along precisely calculated paths—something only possible in artificially designed spaces, much like movement through a city. The background, colored with gradient hues, suggests that the gradients people commonly visualize are not products of the natural world but rather artificially constructed. In this new series, Takeuchi subtly incorporates freehand, chaotic lines into the meticulously ordered scenes. This suggests that, perhaps, everyone harbors a quiet desire to deviate from the rules imposed on them—rules that unconsciously shape our actions and color perception, crafted by others without our awareness.
Both artists engage with the history of painting—that is, its rules—while depicting the present as they see it, through the medium of painting. In this lies an attitude toward painting that diverges from merely updating the theory of expression.
“You see, in this world, there is a rule of the game.”
This line, spoken by Octave—played by Jean Renoir himself in the timeless cinematic masterpiece The Rules of the Game—is uttered in the face of a tragedy caused by unwittingly being manipulated by unseen rules. As we now witness how the social rules we once took for granted are so easily rewritten, this exhibition brings to light the “rules” embedded in our lives, prompting us toward a greater awareness.
Schedule | Apr 22 (Tue) 2025-Jul 20 (Sun) 2025 Opening Hours Information
| ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fee | Free | ||
| Venue | ANA InterContinental Tokyo http://anaintercontinental-tokyo.jp/en/  | ||
| Location | 1-12-33 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052 | ||
| Access | 1 minute walk from exit 13 at Tameike-sanno Station on the Namboku and Ginza lines, 12 minute walk from exit A2 at Toranomon Hills Station on the Hibiya line, 16 minute walk from exit 5b at Akasaka Station on the Chiyoda line. | ||
| Phone | 03-3505-1111 | ||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it |
Back to Articles
SHARE
No comments yet