Yuichi Hirako Japan, b. 1982

Yuichi Hirako’s practice deals with significant issues related to human and nature, environment and coexistence with his own styles full of metaphors and symbols through his authentic hybrid-figurations by encompassing paintings, sculptures, and installations. Hirako’s work reflects his connection to the perspective of Deep ecology, which views all organisms as one unified whole concept, and explores the prospect of artwork as a medium for manifesting an artist’s unique sentiments instead of simply displaying an aesthetic value.

In order to enhance the narrative aspect of the works and construct details of the storyline developed from the main theme, Yuichi came up with a hybrid character called ‘Tree Man’. The hybrid character resembling the human shape is portrayed as a figure who leisurely spends its days living a harmonious life with other creatures in the forest. The forest, which is the heart of nature’s circulation system and provides shelter to animals and plants, is regarded as a kind of sacred place in Japan. Hirako’s practice manages to obtain its singularity as he not only organically combines classical art with formal aesthetics and structural mechanism of the current media art but internalizes them.

Yuichi Hirako lives and works in Tokyo, Japan. He received a BFA from Wimbledon College of Art in London. While he has a solo exhibition Mount Mariana (2021) and a group exhibition Cygnus Loop (2019) at Gallery Baton, his work has been featured in exhibition in Powerlong Museum (2021), Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (2010), Ueno Royal Museum, Tokyo (2013), Museum of Modern Art, Gunma (2010). His works are included in the collections of Powerlong Museum in China, Lisser Art Museum, AkzoNovel Art Foundation in Netherlands, Jean Pigozzi Collection in Switzerland.