Since learning as a young boy that Vincent van Gogh always had a fascination for Japan, Rietmeyer studied Japanese culture and Japanese contemporary art. This resulted in many cooperations between him and several Japanese artists.

Today, now for over 25 years, Rietmeyer creates artworks related to Japan every time he visits. Rietmeyer is of the opinion that the culture of Japan had, and still has, a positive impact on his personality and also a very positive influence upon the development of his overall artistic direction. The Japanese culture and the thoughts of many Japanese artists influenced the development of Rietmeyer’s own cultural projects, all related to Time, Space and Existence.

Rene Rietmeyer makes works always related to a person or a country. His works can be seen as portraits, portraits of a person and often portraits of a region, a city or a very specific location. Artwork is always made in the very place it refers to, only then the maximum influence of that location can be transferred by the artist in the work itself. Japan as a whole and Tokyo in particular, being so different than his normal surroundings in Europe and the USA, have always inspired him to create unusual quality series of work.

Having the chance with using color, texture, material, composition and the size of the artwork itself, to express the atmosphere of Tokyo and several other cities he visited, enables Rietmeyer to express his relationship with Japan in his work in the sincerest way possible.