Yuji Ashikawa was born in Tokyo in 1962 and is still an artist based in Tokyo. He is a self-taught art student who continues to hone his craft. Artist draws inspiration from the nightlife of Tokyo to convey a unique atmosphere around him and captivate the viewer. He is a popular artist both in Japan and overseas, exhibiting his works at various art fairs and exhibitions in the United States (New York, Miami, Los Angeles) and Europe (London, Brussels, Basel, Barcelona) every year. . Ashikawa Yuji works with oil on paper and canvas. The paintings employ the use of deep, rich colors to bring forth beautiful, flowing forms. As an artist, Ashikawa has found encouragement in the sadness and passion from Picasso, as well as joy from Matisse and Degas.  In these artists, Ashikawa found emotional support, and hopes he is able to provide the same feelings for people who view his artwork.  With this in mind, he creates art that expresses human emotions so that people may better understand each other.  The main theme in the artist's works which he has developed over his long career is a generalized female image within one spirit but nevertheless subtly different. The nature of Ashikawa paintings absorbs the viewer into the world of his models without faces but with defiant curvy silhouettes. Yet, at the same time, there is not even a hint of vulgarity in bared bodies and visions of flash. Ashikawa uses strong outlines and harsh contrasts of light and dark, and hard lines for depicting the body. Thus he creates the distorted effect further heightened by the contorted pose. Through his exploration of direct expression, impactful visual forms and instinctual appeal Ashikawa tries to stimulate the viewer to concentrate on the aesthetic side of the picture and deeply feel the meaning. Each time Ashikawa shows his models in a variety of poses and moods, masterfully presenting ambience with the color and texture of the paint. The complexity and profundity of the colour palette, especially the deep scarlet and sudden intervention of blue with white, create a resplendently sensual texture. Often in order to upgrade the light effect the artist mixes the sand with paint and it works as the magical fairy dust. The artist emphasizes the expressive potential of color, employing it arbitrarily, not based on an object’s natural appearance.