Kazuhiro Aihara: Uncharted Pixels

Embracing the Unfinished Nature as the Source of Evolution: Kazuhiro’s Artistic Manifesto

Regardless of the style he employs, Kazuhiro Aihara emphasizes the improvisational nature of drawing, valuing each piece as a singular work of art created by a human’s hands in a specific moment in time, while valuing its unfinished nature as the source of evolution.

Utilizing Photoshop as his primary medium, Kazuhiro Aihara has forged a distinctive approach reflected in three styles: his abstract portrait series “faxce,” his fluid pixel animations titled “PSY,” and his GIF collection, a deep dive into meme culture.

In his “faxce” series, Aihara epitomizes the essence of existence by deconstructing and reconstructing facial features. This process yields abstract portraits that capture and convey distinct emotional moments, with improvisation and intuition guiding his creative process — a process during which he oftentimes holds the pen in his non-working hand, sometimes drawing on the tablet with his mouth.

Reflecting on his creative journey, Kazuhiro Aihara expresses that his work is always grounded in an introspective exploration of his emotions. It begins as a circle of uncertainty—a raw sketch of his feelings—which is later amplified and refined, embodying the belief, “Believe what you see and doubt it at the same time.”

On the other hand, his “PSY” series connects liquidity with human and sexual concepts, and his GIF collection not only pays tribute to the history of digital art but also stretches its boundaries, representing a novel take on meme-ism.

Aihara stresses the ongoing nature of his work, relishing in its unpolished state and striking a certain equilibrium therein; he allows unexpected lines to persist, and delights in uneven color fills. His artwork represents a space that, even after years or decades, retains room for further additions and revisions.

This approach further speaks to his artistic philosophy of seeing unfinished elements not as flaws, but as opportunities for continued evolution.

Among Aihara’s most significant works are pieces like “PSY05_EDIT03,” an iconic representation of his “PSY” series, and “GL⁵_016,” a GIF that marks his exploration into meme-ism.