Shinjiro Okamoto

Shinjiro Okamoto was a self-taught watercolor painter who developed a unique style of simple lines and bright acrylic colors in the 1960s. He received honorable mentions at the Shell Art Awards in 1962 and 1964, as well as the grand prize at the inaugural Nagaoka Contemporary Art Museum Awards in 1964. Okamoto participated in various exhibitions in and out of Japan, including the Tokyo Biennale and the Contemporary Art Exhibition of Japan. His inclusion in the International Pop exhibition in recent years contributed to his growing international recognition as an artist that represents post-war Japan.

Okamoto's long career saw him develop many series in different styles, based on meticulous sketches that he transformed into lively forms with dispassionate brush strokes. One of the distinctive features of his art is how he recreated a single image in different variations of color and size, using techniques such as lithographs, silk-screen, three-dimensional painting, and sculptural objects. The result was an overwhelming spectacle that transformed the exhibition space, with upbeat and festive pictorial spaces that also conveyed a calmness akin to the eye of a storm. Besides his art, Okamoto also worked as an Art Director at Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. Until 1981, where he excelled for his work in the field of design.