Yasue Kobe, also known as "YAYA", is a contemporary artist, social entrepreneur, networker and digital marketer originally from Tokyo. She graduated from New York University and has gained recognition for her innovative and thought-provoking work. In 2004, she launched the Cat's Talk project, a multimedia series. The series culminated in an exhibition sponsored by the Spanish government in Santander in 2007.
One of her most notable collaborations has been with JAXA, The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, resulting in the mixed media expression of her enduring love of colour in her series "The Planets". YAYA has continued to develop her interpretive style, using bold colours to explore and highlight the features of various landscapes.
Through extensive research, careful planning and precise execution, YAYA creates a limited number of beautiful canvases that collectors cherish.
Her work is a testament to her talent and creativity, making her an important figure in the contemporary art scene.
YAYA is one of the pioneers of digital art in Japan.
Digital art was only recognised as a genre in Japan in the late 2000s, although it grew rapidly in Europe and the United States in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Working from scanned images of her original canvases, she created multimedia renderings using bold colours set against simple black brushstrokes. YAYA called it "CAT'S TALK", which was exhibited in Spain, Milan and Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Kyushu) and has continued as a series since 2004.