Contemporary artist portfolio site example
Daisuke Samejima is a Tokyo-based contemporary artist known for his Flatball series: hyperrealistic oil paintings applied to three-dimensional spheres that present 360-degree views of Japanese landscapes, suburban streets and everyday scenes. The site serves as his international portfolio.
Born in Hyogo, Japan in 1979, Samejima graduated from Tama Art University with a Master's in Art Science. He has exhibited at institutions across Tokyo, Osaka, London, Shanghai, Beijing and Thessaloniki, and won multiple prestigious awards including the Tokyo Wonder Wall 2002 Grand Prize.
Ready to build your own artist portfolio website?
Artist portfolio website design
The site is image-first and deliberately sparse. The homepage presents a single large painting — a lush Japanese garden scene — without any introductory text, letting the work establish itself entirely before the viewer moves to the navigation. The left-aligned vertical menu creates a quiet, gallery-like frame.
The site offers separate sections for Gallery, Series, Contact and Bio in both Japanese and English. The two-language structure reflects Samejima's international exhibition history while maintaining a clean visual presentation that does not interrupt the art with excessive site furniture.
The artist behind the portfolio website
Daisuke Samejima creates oil paintings that feel simultaneously real and impossible. His Flatball series places meticulously detailed landscapes and urban scenes onto physical spheres, creating a unique viewing experience that sits between painting and sculpture, exploring nostalgia, place and everyday Japanese life.
He has taught at Tama Art University and participated in international art fairs across Tokyo, Shanghai, Beijing, Osaka and Thessaloniki. His work has been sold at auction internationally and shown in solo exhibitions at established Tokyo venues including Art Center Ongoing and Hiro Gallery.
Who this website is a good example for
Visual artists and painters. Samejima's homepage proves that a single powerful image can communicate more than a grid of thumbnails. If your work is strong enough to stand alone, opening with one piece at full scale creates an immediate impression that a gallery wall rarely achieves.
Artists with international exhibition histories. The bilingual Bio page is a practical feature for any artist who shows work across language markets. If your CV includes international shows, offering it in the local language of your primary audience adds professionalism and accessibility.
Portfolio websites in any creative field. The minimal navigation model — five links, no sub-menus, no distracting elements — is worth studying for any creative portfolio. When the work is the product, the site should exist to present it.
Artist portfolio website design ideas
Let one image anchor the homepage. The Samejima site opens with a single full-screen painting and nothing else. For artists with a signature style, leading with one strong image is more powerful than showing everything at once.
Offer a bio in multiple languages. An English bio alongside a Japanese page makes the site accessible to international collectors, curators and press. If you exhibit internationally or sell work across regions, a bilingual statement significantly expands your professional reach.
Separate series from general gallery. The site distinguishes between Gallery and Series, allowing visitors to approach work either thematically or as a complete body. For artists who create cohesive groups of work, organizing by series helps institutions understand the depth of your practice.
Keep navigation to five links or fewer. Every unnecessary link on a portfolio site adds visual noise and dilutes the experience of the work. Review your own site's navigation and ask whether each link earns its place or simply adds complexity.
Learn more:
