Tokyo’s Next Underground Artist Making Waves: Meet YAMEPI
It seems like Tokyo is the place where all the cool kids come from.
Internationally known as one of the hotspots for art and culture, it’s home to creative powerhouses like Verdy, Jonio Takahashi, and Madsaki, it’s also full of next-generation artists and up-and-coming cultural phenoms. One of these people is the artist YAMEPI.
YAMEPI’s art is eye-catching, to say the least; his illustrations invoke the roots of punk, as well as contemporary skate culture. What’s most striking about his pieces is the fashion, which he carefully selects to give life to his characters.
Dressed in New York Yankees caps, tracksuits, oversize hoodies, and chunky sneakers, his characters symbolize well the current fashion movement among Tokyo’s youth. Adorned in colorful nail polish and rock star-like tattoos, hiding in clumsy stars on top of it all seems to be YAMEPI’s final touch to a drawing.
The Tokyo-based artist has stated that one of his inspirations is the manga and the anime movie Tekkonkinkreet, which bears some resemblance to his pieces, mostly when it comes to depicting youth, rebellion, and the laid-back, “anything goes” kind of attitude that emanates from his art. Cigarettes, boxing gloves, pistols, and earphones are part of YAMEPI’s artistic recipe.
Additionally, his color palette is what’s most appealing, as he focuses on using muted pastels and shades of blue-grays in contrast with black and brighter warm tones. YAMEPI can definitely be considered as one of the artists of the newer generation redefining what art is meant to be, staying true to himself, and ignoring the outdated and elitist rules.
YAMEPI, also called Yamato by his close circle, models and is tight-knit with the brand JAMCLUB, an apparel brand characterized by its funky graphics and chill, boyish vibes. He has worked with JAMCLUB on clothing and poster designs. Keep an eye out for this underground talent.
About the Author:
Mizuki Khoury
Born in Montreal, based in Tokyo. Sabukaru’s senior writer and works as an artist under Exit Number Five.
