Kota Yamaji is a Japanese digital artist and motion designer, based in Tokyo. Inspired by the physical clothes, colors and shapes of the artworks, his 3D fashion designs have high affinity with music and art. We interviewed Kota to learn more about his sense of style, attitude to fashion, influences behind the collection and the future of digital fashion.
Why have you considered clothes to be an important medium for you and your work?
Since I create many portraits, clothes have inevitably become an important factor in my artworks. I think that fashion as a whole is a very interesting way of artistic expression, because there’s a lot of room to play and experiment by using different colours, shapes, and patterns.
Were there any artists that shaped your sense of style or art?
I like Surrealist artists like Salvador Dali and René Magritte, and I think I’ve been influenced a lot by their art. I also really enjoy pop art like that of Keith Haring and Warhol.
Tell us more about your creative process. What is usually the starting point?
Basically, almost every time I have an image in my head, and then I just create it in a 3D space. I’m very much influenced by the observations I make around me. Let’s say that the starting point for my art is the combination of various information appearing in my head.
Tell us more about your ‘Lord of the Laundry’ project and the inspiration behind it.
Quite some time ago I came up with this idea when I was in a coin laundry. Watching the place and feeling its atmosphere led me to the idea that the rotating laundry is floating somewhere. This is basically how the initial image for the project was born in my head and then elaborated to a bigger scale.
Japanese fashion wave of the 80s created a breakthrough in the society of the European fashion designers and influenced their views a lot. Was this period in your country's history as important to you?
The return to the 80s has become a recent trend in Japan as well. I wasn't born at that time yet, but it was a so-called ‘bubble’ era, when the whole country was ‘floating’ and various cultures were born. Perhaps, because it was quite a chaotic era with a lot of diversity, it is interesting to see how those unique and strange clothes and hairstyles are being popular again by the current standards.
What do you think about the digital future of fashion?
I really hope that 3D printing will become more widespread and that individuals will be able to create customized clothes they like in the digital space, rather than buying off-the-shelf products. Overall, I believe the future of digital fashion is great and it will for sure bring a lot of exciting opportunities to explore for the artists and fashion creatives.
