Teiji Hayama's greyscale oil paintings depict the elongated, amorphous figures of some of America's most iconic stars. The likeness is distorted to an unsettling, almost sinister reimagining of classical Hollywood allure.
Read MoreTeiji Hayama is a Japanese artist currently living and working in Switzerland. Hayama grew up in Kumamoto, a city on the Japanese island of Kyushu. At the age of 18 Hayama left his home country to attend Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. After graduating, Hayama pursued a career in fashion for five years before realising and pursuing his love of painting.
Hayama's oil works depict oddly distorted portraits of famous figures. Although Hayama's portraits depict some of Hollywood's most historic and glamorous faces, such as Elvis and Marilyn Monroe, these ominous interpretations bare almost no semblance to the icons they supposedly represent. Their faces, with droopy-eyes, bored, exhausted expressions and long amorphous rubber-like bodies provide the viewer with a new perspective of modern-day fatigue. Their peculiar expressions can be interpreted as a comment on how social media has overburdened all of us.
Hayama has works in major collections around the world including the Contemporary Japanese Art Collection and the Taittinger Collection. His solo exhibition FAME took place in January at Unit London.
