Artists | MAKI Gallery | MAKI

Born in 1995 in Tokyo, Japan, Ayumu Yamamoto received both her BFA and MFA in oil painting from Musashino Art University in 2018 and 2020, respectively. The human figure, as well as various flora and fauna, are recurring motifs in the artist’s pictorial universe. While Yamamoto’s paintings seem to depict jaunty and blissful moments, such as lovers spending time together amidst lush greenery, a myriad of contradictory emotions and stories are prevalent in her work, exuding an unsettling atmosphere. Palpable tensions are created within the frame through the coexistence of opposing elements: intimacy and discord, light and shadow, and balance and instability. Hovering between representation and abstraction, the paintings attempt to depict the “real” world and its complicated nature through the artist’s unpredictable application of oil paint.
Yamamoto’s recent solo exhibitions include Shiny at Night, Court Gallery KUNITACHI (Tokyo, 2021); Our Vacation, Open Letter (Tokyo, 2020); Quiet dining table, blue bird, Gallery HEARTY (Gunma, Japan, 2019); and SHINAINARU･ShinAiNaru･Shinainaru･shinainaru, Gallery FACE TO FACE (Tokyo, 2019). In 2021, she was the recipient of WATOWA ART AWARD’s Special Jury Award. An active presence in group exhibitions, such as those in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Shanghai, Yamamoto’s artistic impact extends to global art fairs. Her participation in The Armory Show 2023 marked her debut in North America.