Koichi (b. 1981, Vietnam) is a contemporary artist currently residing and working in Ho Chi Minh City. His artistic practice primarily engages with lenticular media and multimedia installations, integrating advanced digital imagery technologies to interrogate themes of cultural hybridity, body positivity, and the fluidity of identity. Koichi's oeuvre is characterized by a sophisticated synthesis of traditional Asian art forms with the dynamic rhythms of contemporary pop culture, illustrating the breadth of his diverse influences and his distinct artistic vision.
Koichi's journey into the art world began in 2022, following a career in fashion design that deeply influenced his aesthetic sensibilities. His fascination with lenticular art was sparked by an encounter with a lenticular piece featuring David Bowie, which led him to explore the possibilities of this medium. In addition, Koichi incorporates AI technology to generate images based on his own facial features, allowing for a deeper personalisation of his work. This fusion of technology and personal narrative facilitates the creation of art that resonates on an intimate and individualised level.
The name Koichi is a fusion of the artist's own name and his mother's name. He chose this name to honor his mother, who has always been a role model in his life and who gifted him a kaleidoscope ruler during his childhood, which inspired this initial series of works.
Koichi's work is deeply influenced by the loss of two revered figures within the queer community. This experience has imbued his work with the concept of "memento mori," a contemplation of mortality that is intricately interwoven with the vibrancy of his lenticular compositions. Within these works, the robust yet ephemeral figures of sumo wrestlers serve as potent metaphors for the transience of life. Through this deliberate juxtaposition, Koichi invites viewers to engage in a reflective meditation on the impermanence of existence and the delicate beauty embedded within life's fleeting moments.
Koichi’s signature Sumo Kō series reinterprets the ancient art of sumo wrestling through a contemporary lens, often featuring dynamic, digital renditions of sumo wrestlers in playful, unexpected contexts. The lenticular works are notable for their ability to capture fleeting moments, creating dynamic artworks that emphasise fluidity and motion. These works invite viewers into an interactive experience, where each movement alters the visual narrative, reflecting the impermanence and ever-changing nature of life.
This theme is particularly poignant in his series featuring sumo wrestlers, who are depicted in unconventional ways, such as wearing ballerina tutus, challenging traditional gender norms and celebrating body positivity. These images not only explore the intersection of strength and vulnerability but also resonate with broader cultural themes, including the influence of drag culture and the post-pandemic reevaluation of identity and resilience.
Crafting Fusion: Tradition Meets Modern Art
The Sumo character symbolises a strong form of masculinity, characterized by a body that challenges conventional beauty standards. Sumo inherently represents a figure of rigorous discipline, adhering to the strict codes of training schools. In traditional Japanese culture, the image of Sumo-Kō embodies strength and pride, symbolizing a life of glory. Through this character, the artist conveys the message that individuals can embrace multiple roles and express various aspects of their identities in everyday life.
A central theme explored in Sumo-Kō is the juxtaposition of the Sumo figure in ballet attire and posture. Despite their contrasting appearances, these two figures share significant similarities: both are subject to stringent standards of appearance and undergo rigorous training from a young age. Representing two extremes on the gender spectrum, both figures are confined by their respective frameworks. The beauty of these figures is accentuated through their grace and balance, serving as a metaphor for the boundaries and prejudices that have been blurred through a kaleidoscopic lens.
Koichi’s work should be interpreted as a sophisticated form of collage, where disparate cultural elements are juxtaposed to comment on the fluidity of identity and the fragmented nature of contemporary culture. This collage technique serves as a gender strategy by subverting traditional representations of masculinity through the unexpected portrayal of sumo wrestlers in feminine or non-normative attire, such as ballerina tutus. This not only challenges rigid gender binaries but also embodies queer identities by blending strength and vulnerability, traditional and modern, within the same frame.
Through this approach, Koichi’s art reflects the fragmented and hybrid nature of contemporary culture, where identities are not fixed but constantly negotiated and redefined. The series engages with the idea of queer embodiment by visualizing the fluidity of gender and sexuality, thus aligning with broader discussions in queer theory about the performative and constructed nature of identity.
The Pirouette
Koichi’s depiction of sumo wrestlers adorned in traditionally feminine attire, such as ballerina tutus, exemplifies this approach. These works do not merely blend different cultural symbols but rather transform them, questioning the rigid binaries of gender and the cultural narratives that enforce them. In doing so, Koichi creates visual spaces where the boundaries of identity are blurred, encouraging a reconsideration of how gender and cultural identities are constructed and performed in contemporary society.
The work serves as a commentary on the increasingly globalised and mixed cultural phenomena of our time, where traditional practices are reinterpreted through the lens of contemporary pop culture, creating a new, hybrid aesthetic that resonates with the complexities of modern identity formation.
Koichi’s works are intricate and evocative, depicting sumo wrestlers in unusual and often whimsical settings. These figures, traditionally symbols of power, are reimagined to explore themes of identity, gender fluidity, and cultural norms. Humour intertwines with a deeper commentary on the complexities of self-expression and societal expectations.
Beyond his work with lenticular art, Koichi has expanded his exploration of the Sumo Kō figure through various mixed media, further deepening the thematic richness and visual impact of his art. He employs materials such as stainless steel, silkscreen printing, sculpture, 3D printing, and neon installations to reinterpret the sumo figure in diverse and innovative ways. These mediums allow Koichi to explore the interplay of light, texture, and form.
The use of stainless steel and sculpture adds a tangible, physical presence to his work, grounding the ethereal qualities of his lenticular pieces in solid, enduring forms. Silkscreen printing and 3D printing introduce layers of detail and precision, while neon installations create vibrant, immersive environments that engage viewers in a sensory dialogue with the artwork. Through these varied mediums, Koichi continues to challenge and expand the boundaries of contemporary art, pushing the figure of Sumo Kō into new conceptual and aesthetic territories.
Exhibition view, ‘Sumo Kō - The Paradoxical Charms’, 2024, Casa d'Arte gallery, HCM, Viet Nam
Press & Media
Elle Decor, Thanh niên, Harper Bazaar, tuổi trẻ, Đầu tư plus, Thị trường thương hiệu, Saigonchoice, Doanh nghiệp tiêu dùng, Alotintuc, 2Saigon, Điện ảnh kịch trường, Emagazine24, Kinh tế tiêu dùng, Thần tượng TV, Đời sống văn hóa, Wshowbiz, TG người nổi tiếng, Kết nối doanh nhân, Tạp chí sao việt, Thôn giải trí, Sàn diễn 24h, Toptrending, Doanh nhân thị trường, Vietdaily, Vnlifestyle, Gia đình tiếp thị, Hậu trường info, Phong cách trẻ online, Thể thao ngày nay, Thể thao văn hóa, Thế giới điện ảnh, Tạp chí điện tử Ngày nay, Văn hóa và doanh nghiệp, Phụ nữ style, Starvbiz, Doanh nhân thương hiệu, Thế giới, văn hóa, Lifetoday, Doanh nhân trẻ Việt Nam
Collection
Works held in private collections in Singapore, China and United Kingdom