Ryo Kajitani

Garden of Prayer (2019)

woodcut-based giclee print. 43.3” X 67”. 2019

Garden of Prayer (2023)

woodcut-based giclee print. 43.3" X 67". 2023

I Don't Know Anything

Pencil drawing. 14.3” X 20.3”. 2016

Ryo Kajitani is a queer artist and art model based in Tokyo, Japan. They identify as transgender and asexual. A decadent and dark painting style inspires their artworks. In Japan, they gained recognition alongside artists like Zdzisław Beksiński (1929–2005) and TATSUSHIMA Yuko (1974-) through the popularization of the internet meme "Words that should not be searched."

During their time at Tama Art University (2010–2014), they specialized in oil-based woodcut printmaking. In their doctoral program, they studied under the late MOTOE Kunio (art historian, 1948–2019) and Nakamura Yutaka (cultural anthropologist). Their research focused on the possibility of implementing ontological aesthetics in exhibition spaces, and they proposed hypothetical logical models based on Heidegger's theory of art (2016-2019).

After graduating, they returned to working as an art model and designer in Tokyo. Currently, they are experimenting with mixed analog and digital collage prints, using a combination of printmaking techniques and partial machine learning (AI). Additionally, they draw from their own experiences of being violently assaulted to provide international humanitarian aid and support for orphans and individuals seeking to reintegrate into society.