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What If Iconic Art History Subjects Were Young Modern People in the City

Digital Collage

The collision of art history and pop culture comes alive in the digital collage of Shusaku Takaoka. As a graphic designer, the Japanese creative uses his keen photo manipulation skills to take some of the world’s most iconic paintings and fuse them with the gritty urban environment. Using famous faces like Mona Lisa, Van Gogh, and Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, Takaoka merges them onto bodies sporting the latest fashions. The playful project gives a whole new meaning to these painted characters, who now look incredibly modern.

Takaoka takes some creative liberties when it comes to his pop culture mashups. He doesn’t shy away from lengthening their hair, adding stylish hats, or even placing a cigarette to their lips. In doing this, Takaoka imagines a whole new life for these people—they transcend their paintings and become the type of hip folks you’d easily find walking down the street or sitting on the subway.

Graphic designer Shusaku Takaoka creates digital collage that fuses art history and pop culture.

Digital Collages

Digital Collage

Digital Collage Ideas

Among the urban environment, the new people look like hip folks you'd find walking down the street.

Digital Collage Ideas

Digital Collage Ideas

Digital Collage Art by Shusaku Takaoka

Shusaku Takaoka: Instagram
h/t: [This Isn't Happiness]

All images via Shusaku Takaoka.

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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