Hidenori Yamaguchi

painted in 2017
marked with one seal of the artist

Overall in very good condition. Titleslip by the artist is adhered to the reverse. Framed dimensions: 29 by 74 cm.
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Hidenori Yamaguchi is a Japanese contemporary artist recognized for his meticulous ink wash paintings, with exceptional attention paid to achieving photorealistic detail. He obtained his Master’s in Fine Art from the University of Tsukuba Graduate School of Art and Design in 2001, and pursued his interest in traditional painting techniques at the China Academy of Art from 2002 to 2004. Since his return to Japan from China, he applied his study  of seal engraving, Chinese painting, and calligraphy towards a rigorous exploration of rinsho painting—the imitation of expressive techniques or traditional calligraphic methods through stages of imitation, tracing and free-hand painting.

In the present lot Traffic, Yamaguchi captures a daytime train arriving at the aboveground Okachimachi station and depicts a densely crowded street scene below the tracks, tightly nestled between high-rise buildings of the Tokyo metropolis. His paintings demand a significant amount of time to be completed, which is consistent with his unwavering commitment to detail. As Yamaguchi states, “mastering techniques is one way to respect the accumulated layers of tradition.”¹ Drawing upon rinsho imitation methods, he paints with a fine brush on many layers of thin, almost translucent paper, so as to imbue the desired image with an antique glow. Traditional ink paintings depict natural landscapes composed through the idealized lens of the imagination; adversely, Yamaguchi captures photorealistic moments at the very intersections of urban landscapes, composed with nostalgia-inducing vintage filter effects. 

¹ Steer, Emily. 5 Questions: Surface Tension at White Rainbow. Elephant, 24 Sept. 2015, elephantmag.com/5-questions-surface-tension-at-white-rainbow/. Web.