Kotaro Machiyama

Artist statement
My work explores abstraction as a way of reconnecting with the simple act of seeing. I remove storytelling, depth, and clear references so that color and form can stand on their own, without directing the viewer toward a specific meaning.
I am inspired by the way a child first experiences the world, before everything has a name. At that stage, color and shape are felt freely and openly. In my painting practice, I try to return to that space of direct and intuitive perception.
In the studio, I intentionally leave out recognizable figures and narrative elements. This allows me to focus more closely on how colors and forms relate to one another. Through this process, the painting becomes a living interaction of shapes, tones, and energy.
My paintings are not meant to represent something specific. Instead, they offer space. They invite the viewer to slow down, to look without expectation, and to connect with their own sensations, emotions, and memories. For me, painting is a place where seeing becomes immediate, personal, and alive.

Education
2011 Setu Mode Seminar graduation.
2004 Tokyo Zokei University of Art and design subject dye major graduation

Selected Solo Exhibitions
2025 ｜“Yamato Spirits” – Daikanyama Tsutaya Books, Tokyo, Japan
2024 ｜“Clipping” – arflex Nagoya & Osaka, Japan
2023 ｜“Clipping” – arflex Toky, Japano
2020 ｜“Wakaranai Mono ga Suki” – arflex Tamagawa & Osaka, Japan

Selected Group Exhibitions / Art Fairs
2025 ｜ART 365 – Daimaru Tokyo & Matsuzakaya Nagoya, Japan
2025 ｜“Subconscious Paradise” – Xiamen, China
2024 ｜International Gallery Week – Ningbo, China
2023 ｜Modern Art Museum Shangha, China
2023 ｜ART AMOY – Xiamen, Chinai

Awards / Recognition
2017 ｜Rise Art Prize – Highly Commended (UK)
2017 ｜J-WAVE TIME TABLE – Grand Prize (Japan)

Selected Clients / Collaborations
Louis Vuitton
arflex Japan
BBC (UK)
Stanford University (USA)

story
After retiring as a web designer for an apparel company (Listair), he traveled to Southeast Asia as a backpacker. After returning to Japan, he decided to make a living from painting and attended the Setsu Mode seminar night course while working as a temporary employee during the day. While experiencing three periods of unemployment, including his first retirement, he gradually acquired a job as an illustrator. Artwork, which was created in parallel with illustrations in 2014, received praise at overseas online galleries and began to be sold mainly in America and Europe, and in recent years he has been active as an artist. Domestic activities are also expanding, starting with a solo exhibition at Arflex Tamagawa in 2020.