WorkArt & Culture

Bright, bold and crazy digital pop art by Kota Yamaji with Tokyo influences

Japanese artist Kota Yamaji has recently created this pop art series of 3D digital illustrations, exposing a serious love of bright and bold colour, an active imagination and a huge influence from the neon lights of Tokyo where he is based.

Written By:
Stylised figure with blue head decorated in yellow polka dots, wearing a lime slice as a face mask, against a bright yellow background

With faces transformed into cubes, lemons and limes, trees and even globes – there's a crazy, surreal quality to his images with his subjects often portrayed as dummies instead of humans. Polka dots seem to be a running theme, and Japanese culture is rife throughout. False teeth, leaf-wrapped treats and unusual outfits add to the madness. It's a series that will please any digital artist looking for unique inspiration.

The work follows Kota's recent mind-bending, trip-induced music video for tilt-six's latest track, where you can expect flowers exploding from eyelids, naked bald women rolling around in flower beds, and various other acid visuals. Discover more at kotayamaji.jp.

Figure with yellow spherical head and gold hands seated on ornate chair, wearing purple robe, with surreal flowering plant structure behind against pink background
Bright blue polka-dotted circular form with a golden apple at its centre, accompanied by pink and purple 3D objects on a light blue background
Repeated grid of residential building façades with colourful balconies in shades of lime green, pink, red and blue, each with yellow railings and potted plants
Kota Yamaji's digital pop art featuring yellow polka-dotted dummy heads, globe-shaped heads and pink accents arranged on a turquoise background
Repeating pattern of half-sliced limes with bright pink and lime green halves arranged diagonally on a pink background with yellow lines
Rows of colourful 3D digital dummy heads with bright blue, lime green and hot pink bands, white teeth and small purple polka dot details against a vibrant pink background
Colourful figure with blue polka-dotted head replaced by a lime slice, wearing a turquoise outfit and patterned cape against a yellow background
Figure with teal skin wearing a yellow polka dot jacket and purple belt holds a decorative parasol against a bright pink background scattered with confetti, in Kota Yamaji's digital pop art style
Colourful pea pods filled with rainbow beads arranged around a lime slice on a mint green background with white polka dots, by Kota Yamaji
Blue and white polka dot cassette tape surrounded by lime slices and glasses of yellow liquid on a bright yellow background
Surreal figure with a gnarled tree for a head wearing a colourful outfit with polka dots and a yellow scarf against a bright pink background
Row of pink doors with gold frames against a bright blue wall, each displaying a small blue textured object and yellow-green rectangular shape
Stylised figure wearing a red top and blue polka dot skirt with golden arms and blonde hair, their head replaced by a tall green tree, set against a mint green background with scattered white shapes
Surreal 3D illustration of a stylised figure with a blue polka-dotted body holding headphones, supporting a globe of Earth against a bright blue background
Colourful still life arrangement with wine bottles, glasses and wooden cylinders on a vibrant blue, pink and yellow tablecloth against a bright blue background
Surreal figure with a globe for a head wearing a patterned pink jacket with neon trim and a wide-brimmed hat against a pink background
Yellow mannequins with cube-shaped heads and colourful patterned limbs stand against a bright blue background in Kota Yamaji's pop art illustration
Share

Further Reading