Kotaro Machiyama

Japanese artist Kotaro Machiyama lives and works in Tokyo and creates bold and colourful abstract paintings inspired by the beauty of time and space. Kotaro’s powerful and vibrant works transport viewers out of the present and into another realm.

Kotaro Machiyama’s Craft

Kotaro’s craft has a refreshing illustrative style; there is something of Roy Lichtenstein and the Pop Art movement but with a difference. Kotaro is interested in the desire to get closer to an object because of our attraction to it. Acrylic paintings such as the flamboyant and all-consuming Be Different appear to be zoomed in on, transporting viewers into another cartoon-like dimension. Kotaro often drafts his work on photoshop first to streamline that crisp, digitally accomplished quality that characterises his paintings. Block colours and flat surfaces enhance the vitality and animated nature of Kotaro’s canvases, making for eye-catching statement pieces.

Press and Exhibitions

Kotaro has taken home numerous awards in Japan, including the prestigious Daikokuya Contemporary Art Award as well as the International Art & Design Visual Art Award from 6F Citizens Gallery. The artist has also placed in the top 3 at the US ARTslant Showcase Competition. Kotaro has showcased his works in group and solo exhibitions at prominent galleries in Japan and South Korea.