Matsuyama spoke to us about his inspiration behind 'Portraits of Dazzle':the deceptive allure found in social media and WWI Dazzle camouflage.
What first compelled you to incorporate dazzle camouflage into your work?
I became interested in the striking appearance and narrative of Dazzle camouflage after watching a documentary about World War I. In today's society, where communication revolves around social media, it's crucial to share visually appealing information to fulfill the desire for approval through likes and follower counts. This includes using filters to enhance skin appearance, portray a slim figure, remove unnecessary elements from images, or transform cloudy skies into clear ones. The deceptive allure of posts that appear beautiful on social media, much like how Dazzle camouflage deceived enemy ships, aligns perfectly with the theme of my artwork. That's why I incorporate Dazzle camouflage as a motif in various pieces.
Dazzle camouflage was used to intentionally mislead enemies. How do you find this captures what you’re trying to explore through your portraits?
I am a contemporary artist, but in my work "Portrait of Dazzle," I play the role of both a portrait painter and a viewer of social media. In traditional portrait painting, artists and models typically interact face-to-face to complete the portrait. However, in my work "Portrait of Dazzle," the artist paints the model (a selfie on social media) through a smartphone screen. During this process, the artist and model have no personal acquaintance, and the model may not even be aware they are being depicted. This production process reflects modern communication methods.
Your practice centres around the concept of ‘modern people’ often concerned with self-image. What drew you to explore this theme in such detail?
With the widespread adoption of the internet and smartphones, our society is undergoing unprecedented changes at a pace never before experienced by humanity. I am intrigued by what "modern people" are exposed to, what they think about, and how they are evolving.
How does your background in illustration inform your practice, if at all?
My background in illustration informs my artistic practice by approaching my work not just sensually, but also rationally and theoretically. I bring a marketing perspective gained from my experience as an illustrator and designer to my activities as an artist.
You’ve recently been working on objects and installations. Do you feel this was a natural progression?
I have been creating installation artworks since around 2015, up until the early stages of the pandemic. After the pandemic made attracting audiences challenging, I began considering creating paintings that could be appreciated and purchased online, which led to the completion of "Portrait of Dazzle.”
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