Shuto Okayasu
Whisper of the Midnight, 2022
Oil marker on paper with the frame,  8.5 x 11 in
 
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Shuto Okayasu (b.1990, Saitama, Japan) is a painter, photographer, and illustrator. He studied Graphic Design at Tokyo Zokei University. Since moving to New York in 2015, Okayasu has worked in both photo-realistic and surrealistic styles, incorporating elements of Japanese painting and cartoons. Heavily influenced by cut and paste and sampling cultures of Hip Hop and Rap, Okayasu paints patchworks of his perception that transports viewers to a dreamlike world. In his work, Shuto intertwines reality and fantasy and explores how perception and imagination play into our daily experiences. His paintings emphasize the bizarre and alluring elements of the mundane. He often incorporates stylistic elements of abstract painting, Japanese painting, and cartoons into his work. This inconsistency lends itself to a feeling of unpredictability, capturing the strange and beautiful miscellany of the cultural world.