Yukimasa Ida, Panta-Rhei, Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, 2023. Photo Keizo Kioku. Courtesy of the artist and Mariane Ibrahim
How Japanese Artist Yukimasa Ida Lives and Works in the Moment
Yukimasa Ida paints with a fervor that seems to challenge time itself, capturing the ephemeral essence of every encounter with his subjects. On the last day of September, the 33-year-old artist unveiled his first major museum exhibition, “Panta-Rhei—For as long as the world turns,” at the Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art. Curated by Jérôme Sans, the exhibition features Ida’s works from 2015 to 2023 and is presented non-chronologically.
Ida is a young follower of “Ichi-go Ichi-e,” (“one time, one meeting”) an ancient Japanese four-character concept with historical roots dating back to the 16th century, attributed to the tea master Sen no Rikyu. Over time, this idiom has evolved into a broader philosophy encompassing notions of time, life, and death—it is from this exploration of transience that Ida draws his inspiration.
This approach unveils Ida’s unique artistic vocabulary and prolific body of work, encompassing paintings, sculptures, portraits, abstractions, and figurations. “Yukimasa Ida is an artist who embodies absolute freedom by defying and thwarting any notion of style,” Sans noted.
