With a passion like none, Koushin Yamada from Japan has made a name for himself in the world of art. After dedicating his life to art, he has found peace in creating work that satisfies himself, no one and nothing else. He’s always searching for something different and shows us that different can be better instead of ย ‘following the crowd.’
ๆฅๆฌใฎใใกใคใณใขใผใใฃในใๅฑฑ็ฐ่่ฃใฏใใใใ็จใชใๆ ็ฑใงใ
ไธ็ใฎใขใผใ็ใซๅใใชใใ่ธ่กๅฎถใงใใใๅฝผใฏใ็ๆดปใใขใผใใซๆงใใไฝใใใ่ชๅ่ช่บซใๆบ่ถณๅบๆฅใใ ่ชๅใฎๅฟใ็ใใใจใๅบๆฅใไฝๅใๅตไฝใ็ถใใฆใใใใใคใใๆฐใใใใฎใๆขๆฑใ็ถใใๅฑฑ็ฐ่่ฃใๅฝผใฎไฝๅใฏใ ๅคง่กใซ่ฟๅใใๆขๅญใฎใใฎใ่ฟฝใๆฑใใใใใไฝใใ ๆฐใใใใฎใ่ฆใคใใๆนใ้ข็ฝใใใจใใ ่ฆใไบบใซๆใ่ตทใใใใฆใใใใใซใผใใปใขใณใใปใฌใธใฃใผใฏใ่่ฃใฎไฝๅใใคใณในใใฌใผใทใงใณใ ็ๆดปใซๅ ฑๆใใๅฝผใซใคใณใฟใใฅใผใใใย
Roots and Leisure talks with the hyper-creative Japanese artist Koushin Yamada from Tokyo. Read on to know about his life, his art and his source of inspiration for his wacky pieces! [Japanese text and translation by Koushin Yamada and Sachiko Imamura D’Souza.]
-
Konichiwa Koushin San! Tell us a bit about yourself, your work and your background.
-
ใใใซใกใใ่่ฃใใใใพใใ่่ฃใใใ่ช่บซใซใคใใฆใ
ใฉใฎๆงใชๅตไฝๆดปๅใใใใฆใใใใใพใใ็ใ็ซใกใซใคใใฆใ ็ฐกๅใซๆใใฆไธใใใ
Konichiwa! My name is Koushin Yamada. I am 33 years old and was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. Growing up, my family always struggled both financially and physically. My father, who was a clay model artist and art dealer, left my family when I was still a teenager. I didn’t particularly have many close friends and spent a lot of time alone. I dropped out of high school and started working when I was 15.
“All credit is due to my mother’s unconditional support that my life did not end differently. Those years of struggle made me grow and foster different values compared to those of others. I decided very early on to value my life and give it meaning through art. Today, I am married to a Swedish woman and blessed with few, but close friends, and a hunger for self-expression. I am always absorbed in creative activities.”
็งใฎๅๅใฏๅฑฑ็ฐ่่ฃใจใใใพใใ็พๅจ33ๆญณใ
-
Introduce us to your work. What got you started as an artist?
-
่่ฃใใใฎใใใพใงใฎๅตไฝๆดปๅใซใคใใฆใ
ใใๅฐใ่ฉณใใ็ฅใใใใงใใไฝใใญใใซใฑใงใ ่ธ่กๅฎถใซใชใใใจๆใใใใฎใงใใใ
My work is mainly two-dimensional, consisting of various forms of paintings on a plain surface. In addition, I also create origami – which is traditional Japanese figures of folded paper – on which I paint and then use for making various installations, as well as on paintings. I have always sought to draw the truth of the world, as it is seen through my eyes with a touch of my own imagination and fictional elements.
Although I originally started as a manga artist, I began to paint as I wanted to expand my range. At that time, I felt like I had plunged into the vast world of art for the first time. I also attended a vocational college for a while, but would for the most part label myself a self-taught artist. Since my interest in art started with drawing cartoons, I often draw my original characters and still thoroughly enjoy the process of it.
Origami Work by Koushin Yamada.
-
What is your motivation and inspiration to create art as a full-time profession?
-
ใใญใฎใขใผใใฃในใใจใใฆไฝๅใๅฎๆใใใใใฎๅๅๅใใฏใชใจใค
ใใใใใใฎใใคใณในใใฌใผใทใงใณใฏไฝใงใใ
During my childhood, I was often praised when drawing something and this made me believe that I possessed a talent for art. I slowly began to realize that I had already withdrawn from the road that ordinary people in Japan follow and I was not meant to be like everyone else. Driven by a different agenda, I made the decision to dedicate my life to art. I will do this till the day I die.
“My motivation to create does not stem from any wish to become rich or successful. Rather, I find myself driven by the will to produce art that can satisfy myself. Even now I think that I am very lucky to be driven by such guidelines and intrinsic motivations… I do not have to search for a purpose to live as it is already deeply rooted within myself.”
ๅนผๅฐๆใซ่ฝๆธใใ่คใใใใไบใง่ชๅใซใฏๆ่ฝใใใใจๆใใพใใ
Homage to Amedeo Modigliani’s Nu couchรฉ. Made with oil andย acrylic colors on board by Koushin Yamada.

Homage to Amedeo Modigliani’s Nu couchรฉ. Made with oil andย acrylic colors on board by Koushin Yamada.
-
How have your roots influenced your work or working style?
-
่่ฃใใใฎ็ใ็ซใกใๅญไพใฎๆใใใฎ็ๆดป็ฐๅขใฏใ
่่ฃใใใฎไฝๅใ่ธ่กในใฟใคใซใซใฉใฎๆงใชๅฝฑ้ฟใใใใใฆใใใจๆ ใใใพใใใ
Even though I am not an outlaw, I am strongly aware of the fact that my path of life is seen by many Japanese people as deviant and defying the social order and normative system. This made me want to polish my personality and originality, educate myself and stick to my different way of life, rather than following the crowd. This has also contributed to the uniqueness of my artwork.
I slowly grew a habit of searching for various forms of knowledge and realized that there was so much to be learned. That has gradually led me to see the world from a different angle. The knowledge I have accumulated is projected in my art and various forms of research became a major theme of my pieces. Sometimes this includes things or ideas which seem a little crazy, but by brushing it with my ideas, these are tailored into art.
“My creativity and inspiration isย also strongly influenced by another aspect of my upbringing. I always liked and wished to collect various things – such as music CDs, movies, cartoons, toys, clothes and knick-knacks – but my family had neither the money to buy those things for me, nor did we have much space to store these. I thus saved and collected images of all these things I liked on my personal computer so I could look at them anytime. This soon became a habit and I have slowly created a library of all those these articles inside my head.”
You could say these images that trigger my creativity have been imprinted on my mind. When my desire to own these things dissipated, I was left with images that served as an important role of aย creative library within my mind.
Origami Paper Toy by Koushin Yamada.

Origami Paper Toy by Koushin Yamada.
Origami Butterful Owl by Koushin Yamada

Origami Butterful Owl by Koushin Yamada
-
Would you say you’re an artist as a full-time profession?
-
ใ่ช่บซใฎใใจใใ
ใใซใฟใคใ ใฎ่ทๆฅญใจใใฆใฎ่ธ่กๅฎถใจใ่ใใงใใใ
Whatever I am up to, I am always thinking about art. Having to spend my time on activities such as eating or sleeping, even if it’s inescapable, makes me feel like I am wasting precious time that I could be spending on art.
“Creating art is my full-time job and indulging in other pleasures leaves a feeling of guilt. I feel that life is too short to take time off from art.”
ไฝใใใฆใใฆใใขใผใใฎไบใ่ใใฆใใพใใ
-
What’s your creative philosophy? What inspires you to create?
-
่่ฃใใใฎๅตไฝๅฒๅญฆใฏไฝใงใใใไฝใใ
ไฝๅใๅตไฝใใใๆใฎใคใณในใใฌใผใทใงใณใจใชใฃใฆใใใฎใงใใใ
Depending on how you see it, everything in this world can be art. I believe that having intellectual curiosity is the most important thing. It helps with discovering and capturing inspiration from everywhere and anything we come across in our daily lives. My own inspiration originates from various sources, such as culture, nature and history. In addition, I also try expressing my passion for supernatural phenomena as well as the worldโs mysteries and secrets through my work.
ๆใๆนๆฌก็ฌฌใงใใฎไธ็ใฎๅ
จใฆใฏใขใผใใซใชใใพใใ
Acrylic on board. Japanese horror x Scifi by Koushin Yamada

Acrylic on board. Japanese horror x Scifi by Koushin Yamada
The Sun by Koushin Yamada.
Adventure of the kabuki- the turtleย by Koushin Yamada

Adventure of the kabuki- the turtleย by Koushin Yamada

Adventure of the kabuki- the turtleย by Koushin Yamada
-
What do you hope people take away from your art?
-
่่ฃใใใฎไฝๅใ่ฆใไบบใ ใใ
ใฉใฎๆงใซๆใใฆๆฌฒใใใจใ่ใใงใใใ
I do not expect, nor hope anything in particular. My belief is that art is supposed to be personal, that people are supposed to be egotistic in regards to what we like or dislike.
“People on the same wavelength as me might appreciate my art, and those who are not might hate it. Even someone who dislikes my work would in some way have been emotionally affected by it. In other words, even though my art contains several messages and ideas, all I hope to do is to spark some kind of emotional or creative reaction within the beholder. It would be great if my art could stimulate someoneโs intellectual curiosity.”
็งใฏ็นใซไฝใๆๅพ
ใใฆใใพใใใ
-
Tell us about your latest art piece that you’ve been working on.
-
็พๅจๅตไฝไธญใฎไฝๅใซใคใใฆใใๅฐใๆใใฆไธใใใ
ใฉใฎๆงใชใใญใธใงใฏใใซๆบใใฃใฆใใใฃใใใใพใใใ
My latest work is a painting that will be part of a show – โExhibition Design Art of Asian Regionality and Climate in Phnom Penh 2018โ in Cambodia in mid-September. Iย will post my work on social media after the event. This particular piece revolves around the Mandala, which was originally a sanctuary in ancient India, and not the 2-dimensional art creation that most might recognize today. The three-dimensionalย Mandala dome-construction was similar to a stupa (ie, the grave of Buddha and his disciples) and was created to connect heaven and Earth.
็งใฎๆๆฐใฎไฝๅใฏใ
“Cosmic Castle”(2018) | Acrylic on paper byย Koushin Yamada

“Cosmic Castle”(2018) | Acrylic on paper byย Koushin Yamada
My latest piece investigates the essence of the Kalachakra Mandala found in esoteric Buddhist teachings which basically associates its origin and source of inspiration to Vimฤna. Flying fortresses belonging to the gods, such as the Vimฤna, appear over again in the ancient Indian history, and in countless other Asian legends and literature.
“This work interprets architecture, religious elements and history unique to the continent. In addition, ancient wisdom and traditions are immeasurable treasures inherited through time, and this piece connects the dots throughout Asia. By doing so, it also connects cultures, showing that Asian countries, including Japan, in spite of being unique also share a similar history. Being able to portray this avant-garde theme through art inspires a wide range of imagination.”
ใใใซ็งใฎๆๆฐใฎไฝๅใฏใขใใผใใจใชใฃใๅฏๆใฎๅฅฅ็พฉใซใผใฉใใฃใฏ
Ultra two by Koushin Yamada.
Cool Grandma by Koushin Yamada

Cool Grandma by Koushin Yamada
To see more of Koushin Yamada’s mesmerizing work, make sure you follow him onย Instagram
- Recipe | Super Easy Chili Oil Noodles - February 26, 2021
- #Recipe| Smoked Pork and Beef With Mushroom Recipe For New Year Special - January 1, 2020
- Pastry Chef & Owner of Whisk A Wish, Tanya Gupta Talks About Baking & Starting Her Own Business - December 30, 2019