Ilan Derech

Japan

Born in Mexico in 1990, Ilan Derech is a multidisciplinary artist whose visual language was shaped through years of experimentation in animation, generative code, photography, and film. His early explorations in digital media taught him structure and abstraction, while photography and video revealed to him the poetry of reality. His approach to filmmaking resembles that of a haiku: he captures simple, silent scenes where light, time, and gesture become subjects of contemplation. Inspired by the Japanese aesthetics of wa (harmony), ma (the space between things), and wabi-sabi (the beauty of imperfection), Ilan creates works in which presence and absence converse in meditative stillness. Influenced by wabi-sabi, ukiyo-e, and the tender beauty of impermanence, he draws inspiration from everyday details — falling sakura petals, rain on a window, fleeting shadows. Marked by the loss of his father and a long stay in Japan during the pandemic, he developed a practice in which each image becomes a refuge, a breath, a space of silence and memory.

Ilan Derech’s work has been showcased on major platforms such as SuperRare, Foundation, and OpenSea, and has been praised for its cinematic sensitivity. His pieces have been featured in international exhibitions and auctions, establishing his presence on the contemporary digital art scene. He collaborated with ZEISS on Capturing Mobility, a poetic exploration of nocturnal movement in London, and has been featured in several publications — including SuperRare Visual Haikus, OpenSea In Conversation, and Air Canada EnRoute — all highlighting the coherence and emotional depth of his artistic vision.
Through these collaborations, Ilan continues to craft a contemplative body of work that invites viewers to slow down, breathe, and rediscover the fragile beauty of the present moment.


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Natsukashii

Natsukashii_Ilan_Derech_Video.mp4

Whispers of the past,

Tokyo nights softly glow,

Memories that last.


懐かしい (Natsukashii) - Nostalgia / Sentimental Longing

Natsukashii is a Japanese term used when something stirs up a pleasant memory from your past.

It's a word you say with a smile.

For example, hearing a song you loved as a teenager or finding an old train ticket in your pocket can evoke natsukashii.

In many cultures, nostalgia is often tinged with sadness, but natsukashii, derived from the verb “natsuku,”

meaning “to keep close and become fond of,” reflects joy and gratitude for the past rather than a longing to return to it.

In Japan, natsukashii serves as a reminder of how fortunate you are to have had those life experiences,

and the inability to relive them makes them even more meaningful.

technique

video

format

portrait

duration

00:17

year

2024

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Video
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