Kohei Yamada, based in Japan and graduate with a Masters in painting from the University of Arts Hiroshima, creates works based on his inner self/alter ego. With a heavy influence in pop art and a combination of joy, irony, humor and bold color, he achieves a piece that can act like a mirror to his own person while exploring what it means to create art that both fascinates him and the viewer. Yamada has exhibited in solo shows at FUMA Contemporary Tokyo and has done group shows in the Sogo Museum of Art, K11 Musea, Hong Kong and the M Woods Museum in Beijing. During his career, he has experimented with both oil and acrylic paints in search of a medium that is flexible, expressive and allows him to engage in various techniques such as dripping and stippling. In turn, he constructs a rich, vibrant background with highly detailed clothing patterns for his subjects. Yamada’s practice is constantly aiming for more visually complex and sophisticated paintings, leading him to structurally studying each sketch and subject before meticulously applying their color on a larger canvas. He comments on Japanese cyberculture through these contemporary pieces by using a blend of kawaii elements, street/pop styles and a nod to the youth for engaging with their heritage in new creative ways. As he paints, he carefully assigns a personality and a story to his artwork; much like creating a manga or anime character. Each subject strives to be unique and carry a beaming positivity in their colorful dress whilst holding an even gaze with the viewer. Yamada continues to blend modern culture with history through his techniques and paintings and holds an eager outlook of evolving as an artist in an ever changing world.