Yoshiyuki Katayama is a video artist in Japan. He began his career in 2003 as a graphic designer after graduating from the Department of Cinema at Nihon University College of Art. His first art series, entitled “Umwelt” composites live-action timelapse videos of plants and insects, a theme that has interested and engaged him since 2014. Yoshiyuki doesn’t give many interviews and we appreciate his time and inside look into his talents—he shares with us the goals of this work, his inspirations, and his creative process.
For those who don’t know you, how would you describe yourself?
Curious. Intuitive. Sensitive.
After finding you on Instagram, I totally fell in love with your video art, it’s so captivating! What are you currently working on, and what is the inspiration for this work?
My series “Umwelt” is a composition of plant and insect images. While ‘Umwelt’ is a layered concept with complex and nuanced meanings, it is derived from a German word meaning ‘environment’ or ‘surroundings’. In this work, I use the time-lapse technique to film the gradual evolution of plants, which is composited with slow-motion insect imagery.
Given my fascination with the relationship between flowers and insects, I love the idea of juxtaposing both their movements within the same frame.
Have you received positive feedback on the “Umwelt” series?
“Umwelt” has screened at several events, festivals, and showcases globally, including at ‘Art Speaks Out’, the 24-hour Global Digital Event for the Environment from ikonoTV, the Danube Videoart Festival and ERSTE VERTIKALE in Austria, and the National Geographic Short Film Showcase (all in 2016), and at Shelburne Museum in Vermont and National Taiwan Museum, Taipei in 2018. This series won the Grand Prize at the Asia Digital Art Awards in Japan (2014) and the 3rd Prize at the Vertical Film Festival in Australia (2016).
What other art series or projects have you created, and how are their concepts different?
‘Cubistic Biota’ plays on the Cubism style of art and distorts the contours of plants and insects to create new interpretations of these natural objects. ‘OReBIT,’ is a play on the words ‘ore’ and ‘orbit,’ traces the arcs of movement that would exist if natural underground minerals (ore) had orbits or paths they followed through physical space. The resulting geometrical display of colors has an effect much like the rings of Saturn or other planets orbiting our Sun.
I’d love to learn more about your creative process and inspiration. How does an understanding of nature, insects, and plants inform your art?
For me, understanding nature is a matter of knowing myself. I have always been fascinated by nature, mainly insects and plants because their existence is derived from the same power that also lives inside me.
I love how flowers and plants are a riot of color and a medley of shapes, with delicately made antennae, petals, and leaves. I also enjoy watching the mechanism of life unfold in a small, confined space. The process of how natural life rises, grows, and then falls away captivates me. I look deeply into flora and fauna as if they were parts of me, and create a piece from that place of respect.
What do you consider the goal of your work?
My goal is to discover and extract beauty from all living things. There are many species of insects and flowers in our world. Their shapes and movements continue to attract me so I keep making videos along similar themes.
I hope my work will help people appreciate the allure and elegance of the natural world and experience the wonder of nature in motion that is largely invisible to the naked eye. I aim for my videos to instill in viewers a sense of tranquility and peace that only nature can bestow.
What have you read/watched/listened to that has positively shaped or inspired your work?
I have been fascinated by natural history illustrations like Pierre-Joseph Redouté’s Les Roses series or John Gould’s bird paintings since I was a child. I liked that their works were both scientific and artistic, representing two seemingly disparate points of view.
“I look deeply into flora and fauna as if they were parts of me, and create a piece from that place of respect.”
Yoshiyuki Katayama
Video Artist
What advice do you have for artists aspiring to follow in your footsteps?
My advice is simple – nurture a wild heart, maintain respect for nature, and keep your curiosity alive!
🐜 🌸 🦋 Get captivated and inspired by Yoshiyuki Katayama’s video art: Explore his Portfolio and find him on Instagram @katayama_yoshiyuki
