Michael Polyakin

Digital Sogetsu.
I work across a range of artistic disciplines. The Digital Sogetsu series represents one of my core conceptual directions. This body of work is a radical reinterpretation of the principles of the avant-garde Japanese Ikebana school, Sogetsu, translated into the space of digital art.

My creations are two-dimensional digital sculptures, liberated from the constraints of the physical world. I utilize the Sogetsu Ikebana composition as a starting point for exploring pure abstract forms and conflicting textures.

Key Principles: Texture, Form, Space
Texture as Contrast: In my Digital Ikebana, organic materials (branches, shells, fruits) collide with inorganic elements (metal, aged paper). The digital medium allows me to push these contrasts to a surreal limit.

Form as Sculpture: My compositions entirely ignore the decorative. They are structured around asymmetrical volumes and sharp lines, adhering to the principle of sculptural integrity established by Sōfū Teshigahara in the art of Sogetsu. Every element—from large volumes to thin, curved tendrils—serves a structural function, rather than merely ornamenting the piece.

Freedom of Material: I utilize digital tools (AI generation, subsequent digital processing) as a m...

Masters Certificate Program in Design, Digital Technology in Design Art Practice, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada. 2004.

Participated in the juried group shows with my ink drawings:
- Agora Gallery, New York, US, 1994
- Del Bello Gallery, Toronto, Canada, 1994
- Del Bello Gallery, Toronto, Canada, 1995
- Art Addiction Gallery, Stockholm, Sweden, 1998
My multimedia interpretation of Akutagawa's writings, "Walking in Hell with Akutagawa"
was selected as one of the award-winning works for the 2005 (9th) Art Media Festival in Tokyo, Japan.