NAOKI YAMAJI

ARTWORKS

NAOKI'S WORKS ARE CREATED WITH OIL, ACRYLIC AND PAPER ON CANVAS. THE THEME IS THE WORTHLESSNESS OF HUMAN BEINGS IN THE MECHANIZED SOCIETY. THE CAPITALIST SOCIETY IS REPLACING HUMAN KIND WITH TECHNOLOGICAL ITEMS BECAUSE OF ITS REASONABILITY. WE ARE LOSING THE POSITION ONE AFTER ANOTHER IN THE SOCIETY ALTHOUGH THE TECHNOLOGY IS ORIGINALLY INVENTED TO IMPROVE OUR LIFE. HIS PAINTINGS ARE OFTEN COMPOSED BY TWO ELEMENTS, AN ABSTRACT PART AND A FIGURATIVE PART. THE FORMER REPRESENTS THE SENSE OR EMOTION OWNED BY HUMAN AND THE LATTER REPRESENTS THE RATIONALITY OR COLDNESS THE MACHINE HAS. NAOKI UNDERLINES THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BALANCE BETWEEN THESE ASPECTS IN THE SOCIETY AND HIS WORKS SHOW THEIR IDEAL BALANCE.

PORTRAIT SERIES

THIS IS SEL-FPIRTRAIT SERIES OF NAOKI YAMAJI. HE IS EXPRESSING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TECHNOLOGIES AND HIMSELF AS HE GREW UP IN THE ENVIRONMENT SURROUNDED BY MECHANICAL OBJECTS.
MACHINE HAS A "COLD" IMAGE IN ITSELF. BUT HE REALISED THAT IT IS BECSUSE OF THE SOCIETY AND THE DRAMATIC CHANGES OF HUMAN LIFE OCCURRED IN THE SOCIETY WHEN THE MACHINE WAS INVENTED.
AS THE TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN GROWING UP, OUR LIFE HAS ALSO BEEN IMPROVING BY THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS AND PEACE OF INDIVIDUALS. NOW THE TECHNOLOGICAL ITEMS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR OUR LIFE AND THEY ARE WITH US AT ANY MOMENT.
THE PAINTINGS IN THE SERIES IS SHOWING THE REAL RELATIONSHIP BETWERN HUMAN AND MACHINE ACCORDING TO NAOKI YAMAJI'S EXPERIENCE. MACHINE IS NOT A "COLD" OBJECT ANYMORE.

"SELF-PORTRAIT 1"

OIL, ACRYLIC AND PAPER ON CANVAS
50(H) x50(W) x1.5(D) cm

"SELF-PORTRAIT 2"

OIL, ACRYLIC AND PAPER ON CANVAS
40(H) x80(W) x1.5(D) cm

"SELF-PORTRAIT 3"

OIL, ACRYLIC AND PAPER ON CANVAS
50(H) x70(W) x1.5(D) cm

"SELF-PORTRAIT 4"

OIL, ACRYLIC AND PAPER ON CANVAS
80(H) x90(W) x2.0(D) cm

SHUNGA SERIES

"SHUNGA" IS A TYPE OF UKIYO-E (JAPANESE PAINTINGS MADE TO REPRESENT THE EDO PERIOD) WHICH ARE PARTICULARLY ABOUT SEXUAL ACTIVITIES.
IN THIS SERIES, NAOKI YAMAJI DEPICTS THE SEXUAL LIFE OF THIS PERIOD OR THE NEAR FUTURE. THE SCENES DEPICTED IN THE PAINTINGS MAKE US WONDER IF THOSE ARE THE SEXUAL INTERCOURSES BETWEEN HUMAN AND MACHINE, BETWEEN MACHINES OR BETWEEEN HUMANS. IN SPITE OF THE ANSWER OF THIS QUESTION,THE WORKS SHOW THAT THE DAY WHEN THE MACHINE WILL OBTAIN THE SENSE IS COMING SOON.

"Shunga no.1"

ACRYLIC AND PAPER ON CANVAS
50(H) x40(W) x1.5(D) cm

"Shunga no.2"

ACRYLIC AND PAPER ON CANVAS
40(H) x50(W) x1.5(D) cm

"Shunga no.3"

ACRYLIC AND PAPER ON CANVAS
40(H) x50(W) x1.5(D) cm

RE-REPLACEMENT SERIES

WHILE THE HUMAN KIND IS LOSING THE VALUE IN THE SOCIETY, THERE IS ONLY ONE PLACE WHERE WE CAN STILL FIND THE VALUE OF HUMAN. THAT IS THE "ART WORLD". IN THE CONTEMPORARY ART WORLD, BECAUSE OF ITS PLURALISTIC ASPECT, EVERYTHING CAN BE ACCEPTED. IF THERE ARE THE EMOTIONS THE ARTWORKS CAN GIVE US, FOR EXAMPLE FUNNINESS OR INTERESTINGNESS, THEY ARE VALUABLE.
IN THIS SERIES, NAOKI YAMAJI RE-REPLACES THE TECHNOLOGIES WITH HUMAN BEING. THROUGH THE ARTWORKS, YOU CAN SEE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LOST VALUE IN THE CONTEMPORARY ART WORLD.