Japanese illustrator Amano Yoshitaka is perhaps most famous for his designs for the Final Fantasy video games, but he is also an accomplished painter in his own right. He shifted his focus to fine art in the late 90s, and his artwork reflects the brilliant fantasy and imagination that make his characters so appealing. Amano takes the brilliancy of his works to a new level with his latest exhibition “Aurum”, currently on view at Mizuma Gallery in Japan. Named for the Latin term for “gold”, Amano found inspiration in the shine of things, particularly morning twilight. Gold is featured heavily throughout his new series in his palette of gold leaf-embellished drawings and paintings, and gold glazes over sculptures. These include late 19th and 20th century and Art Nouveau influenced works, when gold was used prominently by artists like Gustav Klimt. Amano believes that there is a tight knit relationship between man and gold, a material that has fascinated us since ancient times. Combined with his signature taste for science fiction and mythology, he continues to honor his inspirations with added glimmer and shine.
“Aurum” by Amano Yoshitaka is now on view at Mizuma Gallery in Ichigaya, Japan through October 3rd.