Colourfully complex compositions from Japanese artist Ryota Matsumoto reference societal shifts

There's no doubting the speed at which society is currently evolving, with social, economic and cultural changes constantly at play. Tokyo-born artist Ryota Matsumoto cites his multifaceted approach and international outlook as the reason behind his exploration into how urban and ecological societies are transforming, something also attributed to his childhood spent in Hong Kong and Japan and during overseas studies in the UK.

He describes his artworks as "visual commentaries on speculative changes in notions of societies, cultures, and ecosystems in the transient nature of constantly shifting topography and geology" – which given the instability of today's climate, reflect this chaos.

With a series of artworks to his name, Matsumoto's approach is interesting: he combines techniques to create a hybrid form allowing him to tap into traditional methods such as ink, acrylic, and graphite, which are overlaid on top of digital media, like algorithmic processing, data transcoding, and image compositing through customised software.

Each image seems to contain biomorphic forms, teasing human and animal shapes within the pictures to present dystopian post-human spaces that question urban and digital intersection. Matsumoto purposefully applies these techniques to transcend the boundary between analogue and digital media and create new multi-dimensional worlds.

Ultimately, his work questions current realities and norms, offering room for addressing conventional beliefs around architectural and artistic formalities; it's a space for freedom and interpretation.