Hyper-realistic paintings by Yasutomo Oka

Yasutomo Oka was born in the Aichi prefecture, Japan in 1983 and graduated from Tama Art University in 2006. He is so successful in hyperrealism that his paintings can’t be distinguished from photographs.

Taking around one month to complete each oil painting portrait, Oka uses real life models as the starting point for each piece, but often “idealizes” them as he paints. Some women are depicted wearing traditional kimonos and floral hair ornaments, against ornately-patterned wallpaper. Others wear casual clothing, and are often posed within a home setting, peering out of a window. In other works, girls can be seen standing within an enchanting forest or garden—in one piece, a woman poses in an autumnal, misty forest, while a white owl perches on a tree behind her.

In all cases, Oka manages to perfectly paint every facial feature, lock of hair, patch of skin, and piece of fabric with expert brush strokes. The artist claims he feels most tense when drawing eyes, because they’re the most important feature when painting in a photorealistic style. However, in each portrait the eyes feature lifelike glints and reflections, making them appear convincingly real.

The Gallerist

Hyper-realistic paintings by Yasutomo Oka

You might also like