About artmaster.jp
This website is a portfolio site showcasing the work of artist RYOHEI YAMASHITA. He continues to create artwork on daily basis under the broad concept of “Energyism”.Please click here for all inquiries regarding the artwork displayed, purchasing original artwork, and potential art projects and commissions. If you wish to purchase artwork, please visit Store or send an inquiry by email. Artwork is available to be purchased from outside Japan.
ENERGYISM
"Energyism" is a new concept that symbolizes the artistic expression of artist Ryohei Yamashita. This coined word, a portmanteau of "Energy" and "Artism," aims to visualize invisible energy.
Ryohei Yamashita's paintings are not just beautiful; they possess a dynamism and power, as if imbued with the breath of life. Energy resides in every stroke of his brush, stirring the viewer's heart and arousing the soul. His method, which is both abstract and original, makes the artworks feel as if they themselves have been given life.
Perhaps one of the biggest characteristics of Ryohei Yamashita’s artwork is his ability to
express “energy” in his drawings.
Depending on the paint color texture he uses, Ryohei Yamashita’s artwork can express the movement, indicative motion and the dynamics of the objects being drawn, all of which are not visible to the human eye in real life. The technique he uses to accomplish all this could be called a coarse and detail approach, which brings his audience to an awareness of energy, something not visible, through traces of the objects he draws.
The relationship between the elements of his coarse and detail approach can be found throughout his artwork. Examples include illustrations of people which he draws in detail behind coarse, flat backgrounds. Another example includes areas where he uses and doesn’t use his paint color textures, and sections where he utilizes a paint brush while making use of a painting knife in other areas. By putting together such coarse and detail elements, Ryohei Yamashita makes his audience realize, when they look at his artwork, that they are witnessing expressions of energy cut out from a moment in time.
His high level of craftsmanship can also be felt from the fact that it is difficult to understand how he comes up with his artwork. There are too many examples of this to mention. What is his coloring sequence? When depicting people, he creates sections using negative drawing (placing paint on the background and bringing the image forward), while in other instances he beautifully expresses human three-dimensionality with the use of a single paint color texture. How does he accomplish this? Perhaps analyzing this question while looking at his paintings is yet another way of enjoying his artwork.
I felt Ryohei Yamashita’s artwork is packed with the type of energy that makes you want to appreciate it with your own eyes rather than through a web browser or a printed publication.
Satoshi Kenmoku
Art Critic