Yutaka Inagawa

Yutaka Inagawa (b. 23 Feb 1974) is a Japanese artist trained in painting, line drawing and photography who specialises in exploiting digital photomontage.

Born in Tokyo, Japan, he grew up in the Ikebukuro district. In 1997 he graduated first in his class at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, then went on to gain a master's degree in fine art in 2004 from Chelsea College of Art and Design in London, England. Since then he has lived and worked in London.

His art skilfully blends the delicate and the grotesque, juxtaposing photographic fragments, line art and painting to produce complex abstract works. His work is inspired by the uneasy lack of harmony between tradition and modernity in the fast-paced, constantly changing urban world. He sees parallels between his work and the way in which his home city, Tokyo, has absorbed western conventions into Japanese culture without any proper synthesis or reconciliation. He builds his organic-looking images from bizarre collections of carefully cut out photographic elements - including machinery, fish, road signs, leaves, weapons, furniture - the everyday alongside the unusual - the threatening with the benign - but skilfully intertwined so that the original forms are almost indiscernible.

Inagawa's work has been on display in numerous exhibitions throughout the world and he was shortlisted for the Celeste Art Prize in both 2006 and 2007.

• 1993–1997: Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, BA in Fine Art and Painting
• 2002–2003: Chelsea College of Art and Design, post graduate diploma in Fine Art
• 2003–2004: Chelsea College of Art and Design, MA in Fine Art

• 1996: "Sanyou-Ten", Myu Gallery, Kanda, Tokyo, Japan
• 2004: XHIBIT 04, The Arts Gallery, London
• 2004: MA fine art show, Chelsea College of Art and Design
• 2005: Galerie Suty, Coye-la-Forêt, France
• 2005: St'Art, Strasbourg Art Fair, Strasbourg, France
• 2005: "Hybrid", Style Cube Zandari, Seoul, South Korea
• 2005: Summer Exhibition 2005, Royal Academy of Arts, London
• 2006: "Synchro-Tron", Aqffin Gallery, London
• 2007: New Art Center, New York City
• 2008: "Cosmopolis", Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London
• 2008: "Around the Clock", I-MYU, London
• 2009: "Sensory Cocktails", Gallery Zandari, Seoul, Korea