Saint Laurent Presents "Saint Laurent Shiki-In" - A Collaboration with Nobuyoshi Araki

350 photography books, five globally-recognised accolades, one pink film, and an advertisement campaign for Bottega Veneta ― at the ripe age of 77, Japanese contemporary artist and photographer Nobuyoshi Araki has been almost everywhere within the expanse of the art industry and done that.

While the late 70s tend to be the age of retirement for most people of his age, Araki choose not to follow the crowd.

Instead, he keeps on churning artworks that continuously capture the attention of contemporary art connoisseurs.

To an extent, he even used the loss of his right eye vision due to retinal artery obstruction as the subject for his 2014 seminal art exhibition called “Love on the left eye”!

In conjunction with is current residency at Parisian contemporary shopping institution Colette, Araki and Saint Laurent have collaborated on a special art and photography project. 

Integrating both photography and painting techniques, the “Saint Laurent Shiki-in” (Saint Laurent Just for Colour) series features 16 unique pieces that captured model Anja Rubik in monochromatic photographs. 

Sporting fluid postures and movement against plain yet haunting backgrounds, Araki brought the images to life with strokes of brightly hued paints to create stark contrasts to the monotonous mood. 

Erotica and bondage loom large within these visuals as the artist is well-known for his use of the two taboo themes within his vast body of artworks.

Moreover, these artworks too reflect the merging of two distinctive realms – the world of Saint Laurent and the traditional themes of Araki’s work. 

All 16 artworks are currently on display at the mezzanine floor of the store until 20 December 2017 and can be pre-ordered at Colette via Taka Ishii Gallery in Tokyo. 

The artworks will be sent from Tokyo along with Araki’s label signature and certificate of authenticity.

*Photos courtesy of Saint Laurent.

Saint Laurent x Colette – First floor, 213 Rue Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris, France