Green Woman, 2025, 55 x 48 cm, Oil on canvas, Courtesy of SH Gallery
SH Gallery Seoul presents a solo exhibition by contemporary Japanese artist Teiji Hayama, titled Transition: The Age of Displacement, running from April 3 to April 26, 2025. Known for his psychologically charged portraits that blur the boundaries between reality and illusion, Hayama confronts the rapidly shifting notions of identity and emotional clarity in an increasingly digital world.
Born in Japan in 1975 and currently based in Switzerland, Hayama studied at Central Saint Martins in London and has held solo exhibitions in major art cities including New York, London, and Tokyo. His work is included in prestigious private collections such as those of Jean Pigozzi, the Al Thani family of Qatar, the Taittinger Collection, and artist KAWS.
In Transition, Hayama offers a striking new series of oil paintings that depict ghostly, distorted human figures. These images evoke a surreal visual language—one in which fragmented blocks symbolize the erosion of personal identity and psychological disconnection brought on by the fatigue of constant social media interaction. With a palette reminiscent of vintage television screens and textural overlays that evoke analog memory, Hayama's figures oscillate between nostalgia and disintegration.
Test Card Elvis, 2025, 63x53, Oil on canvas, Courtesy of SH Gallery
Each composition emerges from meticulous research. Hayama begins by collecting and manipulating a wide archive of digital imagery, composing his portraits with precision before transitioning to traditional oil painting. Through thick layers of color and texture, he builds immersive, tactile surfaces that embody the tension between digital disembodiment and analog intimacy.
"The world is increasingly dominated by technology," Hayama states. "In this process, individuals are being pulled in multiple directions, and identity becomes increasingly diluted." His work confronts what is lost in this process—urging viewers to question not only what they remember, but what they choose to forget.
Transition functions as a mirror to the contemporary human condition. As identity becomes more elusive in an age of algorithmic influence and image saturation, Hayama’s work reframes portraiture as a record of anxiety, obsession, and estrangement. An opening reception will be held on April 3 from 5 to 7 p.m., with the artist appearing via video interview to introduce his creative process.
The poster of the exhibition, Courtesy of SH Gallery
Sayart / Nao Yim, yimnao@naver.com
Green Woman, 2025, 55 x 48 cm, Oil on canvas, Courtesy of SH Gallery
SH Gallery Seoul presents a solo exhibition by contemporary Japanese artist Teiji Hayama, titled Transition: The Age of Displacement, running from April 3 to April 26, 2025. Known for his psychologically charged portraits that blur the boundaries between reality and illusion, Hayama confronts the rapidly shifting notions of identity and emotional clarity in an increasingly digital world.
Born in Japan in 1975 and currently based in Switzerland, Hayama studied at Central Saint Martins in London and has held solo exhibitions in major art cities including New York, London, and Tokyo. His work is included in prestigious private collections such as those of Jean Pigozzi, the Al Thani family of Qatar, the Taittinger Collection, and artist KAWS.
In Transition, Hayama offers a striking new series of oil paintings that depict ghostly, distorted human figures. These images evoke a surreal visual language—one in which fragmented blocks symbolize the erosion of personal identity and psychological disconnection brought on by the fatigue of constant social media interaction. With a palette reminiscent of vintage television screens and textural overlays that evoke analog memory, Hayama's figures oscillate between nostalgia and disintegration.
Test Card Elvis, 2025, 63x53, Oil on canvas, Courtesy of SH Gallery
Each composition emerges from meticulous research. Hayama begins by collecting and manipulating a wide archive of digital imagery, composing his portraits with precision before transitioning to traditional oil painting. Through thick layers of color and texture, he builds immersive, tactile surfaces that embody the tension between digital disembodiment and analog intimacy.
"The world is increasingly dominated by technology," Hayama states. "In this process, individuals are being pulled in multiple directions, and identity becomes increasingly diluted." His work confronts what is lost in this process—urging viewers to question not only what they remember, but what they choose to forget.
Transition functions as a mirror to the contemporary human condition. As identity becomes more elusive in an age of algorithmic influence and image saturation, Hayama’s work reframes portraiture as a record of anxiety, obsession, and estrangement. An opening reception will be held on April 3 from 5 to 7 p.m., with the artist appearing via video interview to introduce his creative process.
The poster of the exhibition, Courtesy of SH Gallery
