Menu
The New Contemporary Art Magazine

Hiroaki Ito Conveys the Plights of the Salaryman

In Hiroaki Ito’s paintings and drawings, he depicts Japanese businessmen—referred to as “salarymen” in their respective country—in perpetual states of submission, anguish, self-assuredness, and general unrest. His intimate angles, often below the subject, looking up, punctuate the moods he evokes with these suited, white-collar workers. These men and women are caught in mid-apology, somber reflection, or even near-vomiting.

In Hiroaki Ito’s paintings and drawings, he depicts Japanese businessmen—referred to as “salarymen” in their respective country—in perpetual states of submission, anguish, self-assuredness, and general unrest. His intimate angles, often below the subject, looking up, punctuate the moods he evokes with these suited, white-collar workers. These men and women are caught in mid-apology, somber reflection, or even near-vomiting.

The artist’s work was recently displayed in the group show “Tengai 3.0” at hpgrp Gallery in new York City. The exhibit introduced seven artists who represent the concept of “BASARA,” which tends toward extroverted, eccentric, and defiant artists who veer from convention. The gallery says that Ito, in particular, “draws sorrowful figures of Japanese workers; he associates dogeza, a pose symbolizing apology, with hara-kiri, the ultimate apology–ritual suicide.”

According to the Japanest arts blog Spoon & Tamago, Ito is a salaryman himself, and he has spent the past five years depicting the life of those within this occupation. Ito, a native of the island Hokkaido, has received numerous awards for his work and is a graduate of Musashino Art University in Tokyo.

Meta
Share
Facebook
Reddit
Pinterest
Email
Related Articles
Dominik Schmitt’s oil and acrylic paintings carry flashes of dark surrealism, clinical diagrams, and a provocative, humorous sensibility. The German painter’s use of text, often paired with specific elements of a work or buried under abstraction, add another layer of intrigue to each strange narrative. The artist’s work has been shown across Europe.

Reza Bahmani's oil paintings, with each's distinctive texture and scale, carry a distinct intimacy. In his recent show at Saless Gallery an accompanying score that required the use of headphones further beckoned viewers to focus on the massive portraits.

The cerebral paintings of Cody Seekins blend amorphous, psychedelic figures and elements of pop culture. The artist’s focus and psychological exploration within each work is not only evident in the complexity of each one, but also his accompanying narratives and context he provides when sharing a new piece.
Ian Francis crafts mixed-media paintings packed with ghostly abstractions and figures that appear as evaporating memories. The artist uses a combination of oil, ink, acrylics, and other materials to create each work.

Subscribe to the Hi-Fructose Mailing List