KATSU Uses Drone Technology to Create Abstract Landscapes and Portraiture

Japanese-American artist KATSU has unveiled a new solo exhibition at OMNI gallery in London.

Mecha presents a series of new paintings made using drone technology and executed in KATSU’s signature graffiti aesthetic. This unique approach is achieved through custom-built painting drones and specialized software, which result in hybridized portraits, landscapes and pointillist paintings.

Each composition belongs to its own series, such as Dronescapes and Mecha, where the former consists of various paintings of deserts, beaches and city scenes, the latter focuses on abstract portraiture — both of which are made using autonomous and semi-autonomous painting drones to render directly on the canvas.

In this way, KATSU’s work is only partly created by himself, and occurs in collaboration with machines, or mechas as the title of the show implies. This technique reflects the current trajectory that is taking place across society, where the intersection of humans and technology is becoming increasingly blurred. Or as one 2021 study by Barracuda pointed out, humans make up only 38.5% of internet traffic, leaving a staggering 61.5% to bots.

The exhibition opened last week and will be on view at OMNI gallery in London until October 16.

Elsewhere, Daniel Arsham presents 31st Century Still Lifes at Perrotin.

OMNI
56-57 Eastcastle Street
London W1W 8EG