Born in Columbus, Ohio (b. 1995), Sashi Sakamoto is a New York–based visual artist whose practice centers on his personal experiences growing up first-generation Japanese-American. Working primarily in black and white, Sakamoto uses graphic forms and materials to weave elements of Japanese culture into his work, drawing inspiration from sports, food, music, and the melting-pot culture of New York. Having grown up playing baseball through college, the discipline, repetition, and visual language of the sport continue to inform his artistic approach. Through a restrained palette and culturally rooted references, Sakamoto’s work reflects the intersection of heritage, lived experience, and visual storytelling.
"Someone that I look up to once told me, 'if all lines are ugly, you’re not practicing enough. If all lines are perfect, machine will replace you'. I try to carry that mindset not only in my art, but life in general. In a world that seeks perfection, I challenge myself to stay authentic and in my own lane. I think so many people have this idea of what a perfect life or perfect relationship looks like and they chase that instead of focusing on themselves. Nothing wrong with that, but I would never want to put myself in a box and lose myself in the process of achieving “perfection”.
Instagram - @paintmag.us & @sashi.sakamoto
Photo by Cooper Fox