Exhibitions | MAKI Gallery | MAKI

Sakamoto begins his creative process by drawing a line on a blank sheet of paper. From there, the composition grows into a puzzle-like pattern where color and shape intersect to create a rhythm. Using pigments of traditional Japanese painting, Sakamoto’s work renders deep and fresh colors, which reflect a mature combination of playful improvisation and precise control. Once dreamed of becoming an astronaut, Sakamoto’s focus on the simple formal elements traces back to the origin of drawing, and places his work as an aesthetic mediator between our living space and the far universe through imagination. The variations of Sakamoto’s compositions grow infinitely by subtle alterations of its rhythm.

Born in 1966 in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, Sakamoto graduated from Tama Art University with a degree in Japanese Painting. Sakamoto first held his solo exhibition in Toyo in 1995, and has ever since widely presented his work across Japan. His major group exhibitions include The 21st Grand Award Show at The Ueno Royal Museum in 2003 and The Revenge of Japanese Painting at The Museum of Fine Art, Gifu in 2017.