At Codrops, we love that includes distinctive views that push the boundaries of digital artwork and know-how. Yohei Nishitsuji’s work is an enchanting mixture of physics, machine studying, and digital artwork, turning advanced concepts into visually placing expressions. His strategy to fractals, GLSL, and mathematical aesthetics isn’t nearly creating artwork—it’s a approach of exploring the character of existence itself. We discovered his perspective really inspiring, so we invited him to share his journey and insights with the Codrops group.
Every little thing is a Wave
The wave equation has been an important a part of my analysis on Earth’s and the Moon’s inside imaging for over 15 years. As I analyzed moonquake knowledge from NASA’s Apollo missions day after day, a wierd sensation came to visit me.
Every little thing I noticed, heard, touched—even my very own existence—began appearing as waves, and I might really feel it in my physique. This expertise modified the way in which I perceived the periodicity of waves, giving it a completely new that means.
The important thing idea right here is fractals. What follows might problem your expectations, however I hope you’ll get pleasure from studying to the top.
Fractal Universe
Seashell patterns, coastlines, vascular buildings, flower petals, forests, and galaxies—all of those are formed by visible fractals. Bach’s canons additionally exhibit infinite fractal properties, and harmonious sounds comprise fractal traits with a number of overlapping layers. I started to note a deep connection between visible and auditory experiences.
Our senses will not be restricted to sight and listening to. Fractals emerge within the tactile expertise of advanced textures, within the intricate layers of flavors and aromas that mix to create a single dish. In essence, all the things is fractal. And these are simply the 5 senses we people have conveniently labeled. In a universe with out ego—or consciousness as we outline it—I began to really feel {that a} fractal nature would possibly prolong past these acquainted senses.
If such fractal properties exist, they could belong to a realm of quantum physics or arithmetic that we now have but to totally perceive. And if such a realm exists, it means that the fact we understand may be far easier to explain than we ever imagined.
Faith and Philosophy
It’s attainable to succeed in comparable conclusions via paths apart from quantum physics and arithmetic. For instance, Kūkai attained the state of “changing into a Buddha on this very physique” (sokushin jōbutsu), describing the universe as an infinite circulation of power, symbolized by the mandala world. In psychoanalysis, Jacques Lacan spoke of the primordial sea, suggesting the existence of a “Actual” past our lived expertise—a basic actuality that underlies all spiritual thought, separate from the world as we normally understand it.
The division between what is taken into account scientific and what’s not is merely a matter of human comfort. By way of physics, faith, and philosophy, I wished as an instance that, from a perspective past humanity, these distinctions don’t exist.
This sensation got here straight into my physique from the universe, one thing past what phrases can convey. For a very long time, I carried it with me, guided solely by these waves. However as the sensation turned overwhelming, I started to precise it outwardly—via ART, via what I name “EXPRESSION.”
My Expression: Artwork
My inventive expression revolves round the concept “the world people visually understand as actuality may be described with outstanding ease,” an idea carefully tied to simulation concept. In easy phrases, simulation concept means that our world might exist inside a pc or be able to being simulated.
By way of my work, I search to embody this concept by creating visually placing and life like items utilizing the shortest attainable code.
The deal with brevity comes from a easy precept: the extra life like the result, the more durable it turns into to differentiate from actuality—particularly when achieved via longer code or high-performance computing. By stripping it right down to minimal but highly effective expressions, I discover how advanced and impactful visuals can emerge from the only of codes.
GLSL
Up up to now, it’s clear that my background is in physics, arithmetic, and Earth and planetary sciences. Initially, I had no expertise in creating visible expressions. As I explored, I got here throughout Processing and GLSL.
I began with Processing, however it didn’t fairly align with the type of visible expression I had in thoughts. GLSL, however—particularly fragment shaders for shade and design—was precisely what I used to be searching for.
Finally, I found twigl.app, a GLSL editor, and discovered about strategies for excessive code minimization. One such problem is known as “geekest (300es),” which entails creating shader artwork below strict character limits. I discovered a hashtag on X (Twitter) (#つぶやきGLSL) the place artists share works created below this constraint, so I started sharing my very own expressions there. The character restrict for the programming code, excluding the hashtag, is 267 characters.
I’m deeply grateful to the creator of twigl.app and to those that constructed the tradition round #つぶやきGLSL.
Featured Work
I usually use noise features like fBM or Perlin noise, whereas at occasions, I depend on customized features. On this piece, I used a custom-made perform and utilized ray marching for illumination. The code is strictly 267 characters lengthy.
The visuals are merely an exterior illustration of my overflowing internal sensations, all the time grounded in deeper philosophical and scientific motivations.
This work is impressed by the Huayan Buddhist idea of “one is many, many is one” (一即多 多即一), illustrating how the universe and power emerge from vacancy (空, kū) whereas concurrently encompassing all the things.
As I’ve defined, brevity is crucial in my work, so I don’t normally share code that’s simply readable. Nonetheless, for these with a specific curiosity, I do often present explanatory textual content. For this piece, right here is an instance:
// Unique shader by Yohei Nishitsuji (https://x.com/YoheiNishitsuji/standing/1880399305196073072)
// Tailored for Shadertoy
// HSV to RGB shade conversion
vec3 hsv(float h,float s,float v){
vec4 t=vec4(1.,2./3.,1./3.,3.);
vec3 p=abs(fract(vec3(h)+t.xyz)*6.-vec3(t.w));
return v*combine(vec3(t.x),clamp(p-vec3(t.x),0.,1.),s);
}
void mainImage(out vec4 fragColor, in vec2 fragCoord) {
vec2 r = iResolution.xy;
vec2 FC = fragCoord.xy;
float t = iTime;
vec4 o = vec4(0,0,0,1);
float i,e,g,R,s;
// Initialize ray course for ray marching
// Offset by 0.6 creates a perspective impact
vec3 q,p,d=vec3(FC.xy/r-.6,1);
// Essential loop for ray marching
// This loop advances the ray and accumulates shade
for(q.zy--;i++<99.;){
// Accumulate 'density' alongside the ray
e+=i/8e5;
// Colour accumulation utilizing HSV
// This creates a gradient impact primarily based on the ray's place and properties
o.rgb+=hsv(.6,R+g*.3,e*i/40.);
// Ray marching step dimension
s=4.;
// Advance the ray
p=q+=d*e*R*.2;
// Accumulate vertical displacement, creating layered impact
g+=p.y/s;
// Rework area, creating repeating buildings
// R = distance from origin, creating spherical symmetry
// sin(t) provides time-based animation
// exp2(mod(-p.z,s)/R) creates exponential periodic buildings alongside z-axis
p=vec3((R=size(p))-.5+sin(t)*.02,exp2(mod(-p.z,s)/R)-.2,p);
// Inside loop for detailed floor era
// This loop creates a noise-like sample utilizing trigonometric features
for(e=--p.y;s<1e3;s+=s)
// This line generates a sort of procedural noise
// It isn't traditional FBM (Fractional Brownian Movement) or Perlin noise
// As an alternative, it is a customized noise perform utilizing sinusoidal patterns
// The dot product of sin and cos creates interference patterns
// Dividing by 's' makes greater frequency contributions smaller
e+=.03-abs(dot(sin(p.yzx*s),cos(p.xzz*s))/s*.6);
// 'e' now comprises the collected noise worth
// This impacts each the colour (within the outer loop) and the ray marching step
}
// Closing shade task
fragColor = o;
}You may view this code on Shadertoy.
Fractals dissolve the boundaries between scales. Galaxies and atoms, you and I, the universe and quantum particles—all exist as a part of the identical interconnected actuality. I hold slime molds as pets, and once I observe them below a microscope within the park, a universe unfolds earlier than me.
This work embodies the sensation of infinite connectivity between the big and the small. It’s considered one of my most deeply explored themes, and I’ve created quite a few works primarily based on this concept. Should you’ve learn this far, it needs to be no shock that the character rely for this piece can be minimal.
Beneath, I’ll briefly introduce a few of my different works. Every of them adheres to my 267-character restrict.
Fantastic Encounters
By expressing the sentiments I had as soon as carried alone via artwork, I discovered myself connecting with unimaginable individuals. I used to be invited to the podcast “normalize.fm” (spoken in Japanese) by the creator of twigl.app, and I additionally had the chance to seem on a program on the Japanese tv station RKB.
By way of conversations with Vercel’s CEO Guillermo Rauch, I’ve acquired assist in exploring new instructions for my shader work. Moreover, I used to be invited by Manoela Ilic of Codrops to write down this text. For all of those encounters, I’m deeply grateful to the universe.
Lastly, I’d wish to share yet one more story. My father is an summary painter. As a toddler, I had little interest in portray—maybe I even made a acutely aware effort to keep away from it. As an alternative, I selected to check pure sciences at college. However as I progressed in my analysis throughout my PhD, I unexpectedly discovered myself drawn again into the world of portray that I had as soon as distanced myself from. I think about lots of you may have skilled one thing comparable—a path that ultimately leads you proper again to the place you began.
Artwork
Science
Philosophy
I’m no person, however I’m you.
