Tatsuki Hakoyama

Tatsuki Hakoyama is a Japanese artist who currently lives and works in Grand Rapids, MI. Having experienced lifestyles in Japan, Samoa, and the United States, his work often reflects on how culture, community, and environment impact our identity and values. His allegorical figurative paintings are often carefully planned to invoke a sense of mystery, reminiscent of magical realist painters. He received his Bachelor's degree from Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, MI, and his Master of Fine Arts in Painting from Kendall College of Art & Design of Ferris State University (KCAD) in Grand Rapids, MI. Hakoyama has exhibited his work in various solo and group exhibitions, and has received recognition for his work. In addition to his professional studio practice, he teaches at KCAD as assistant professor of Fine Arts, and at Grand Rapids Community College as an adjunct faculty. 

Having experienced lifestyles in Japan, Samoa, and the United States, my paintings explore the complexities of the human condition and how identity—individual, cultural, and generational—is constructed and negotiated. I seek to explore the relationships between our perception of the world and how it is impacted by our experiences, using allegorical compositions that reflect on the nuanced nature of identity. Inspired by my fascination with the depths of emotionality, these paintings invite the viewer to engage with the work on multiple levels, in both deeply personal and universally relatable ways.