At first glance, his art may seem minimalistic, but a closer look reveals a hidden depth and complexity.
We are thrilled to present Daijiro Hama with a solo show at Asia Now 2024.
Daijiro Hama, born in 1984 in Shimane Prefecture, Japan, is an artist deeply influenced by the environment of his childhood. Shimane, a region known for its shrines and ancient legends, fueled his imagination, especially through the world of yōkai (monsters) that marked his early years. Drawing has been a part of his life since childhood, as naturally as having breakfast.
After living abroad for a few years, he settled in Kyoto, where he met an elderly artist specializing in the sumi (Japanese ink) technique. This encounter was pivotal: she not only taught him the technique but also introduced him to the philosophy of monochrome work, an approach that continues to influence his art today. Currently based in The Hague, Netherlands, Daijiro continues to shape his inner world through predominantly monochrome works, but in recent years, they have been enhanced with touches of color to emphasize a particular mood.
At first glance, his art may seem minimalistic, but a closer look reveals a hidden depth and complexity. Conceptual, his work always tells a story, sometimes explicit, sometimes leaving room for imagination. What is certain is that his work provokes something in us: an emotion, a movement, a particular sensation.
Daijiro Hama often references an almost primitive character in his work, which he describes as a self-portrait but also as a mirror for the viewer. This character, born from his inner exploration, reflects aspects of his personality that he must accept despite his reluctance. For Daijiro, the process of creation is an integration of experiences, both internal and external. He compares this process to making a toy, an activity that is both joyful and sometimes frightening.
In his latest solo exhibition, Iro Iro in November 2023 in Rotterdam, Daijiro Hama highlights the magic of color combinations and interactions. He explores how these combinations, though chaotic individually, create a collective harmony when viewed together. Daijiro uses colors to represent landscapes and figures, with each color conveying situations or individual characters. His work is a constant experimentation with color combinations and gradations, seeking to capture the unique enchantment of each colorful interaction.
