About
Yutaro Inagaki, a contemporary Japanese artist born in 1998, is a figurative painter based in London. Growing up in the suburbs near Tokyo, he developed a fascination with the metropolis from a young age. During his teenage years, he immersed himself in acts of destruction through graffiti in Tokyo, a background that continues to influence his murals, public art, and studio work.
Currently, Inagaki is working on a series of figurative paintings that depict individuals in various situations and surreal dramas set in major cities. In addition to human figures, he frequently incorporates underrepresented urban objects into his work, making these themes central to his research and creative practice. His experiences living in Tokyo, Moscow, and London, combined with his involvement in vandalism and graffiti, have informed his exploration of urban spaces, examining repression and desire, tension and release, and a sense of muted optimism expressed through a restrained colour palette.
The figures in his paintings are often veiled in black, concealing regional and cultural traits to evoke a sense of anonymity. Constructed with synthetic materials, these figures appear human yet embody a post-human quality. Inagaki's approach is deeply influenced by the art movement "Artificial Realism," as established by George Condo.