Akari Uragami is a Japanese multi-disciplinary artist whose work delves into the essence of human existence as a living organism. Her artistic expression, primarily through oil paintings and soft sculptures crafted from natural materials and textiles, offers a profound exploration of what human is.
In her creative practice, Uragami embarks on a journey of deconstructing and reconstructing the human image. She draws inspiration from her everyday experiences, observing human ecology with a keen, objective eye, and shedding new light on the intricacies of human form and interaction.
Uragami earned her bachelor's degree in textiles from Musashino Art University, where she immersed herself in the art of traditional Japanese dyeing techniques. Her dedication earned her the Outstanding Graduate Award, and this deep connection to tradition subtly informs her modern practice.
Her sculptures—knitted, woven, sewn, and tied—resist the constraints imposed upon them, swelling and pushing back to reveal unpredictable beauty born from resistance. At the heart of her current work are two key elements: softness and constraint. The ropes that bind her soft materials symbolize the cultural, social, and personal commandments and beliefs that shape our existence. These dualities of constraint and release, softness and fixation, weave together to create a tension that juxtaposes security with struggle.
In Uragami’s work, the personal seamlessly blends with the societal. Hand-crafted textiles narrate intimate stories, while other materials express the complexities of external relationships and interactions. Her paintings, too, offer a multifaceted observation of human beings—ecologically, spiritually, physically, and relationally—capturing these elements in tandem to portray the essence of existence.
Through this intricate interplay, Uragami tells anonymous human stories that resonate on a universal scale. Her work has been showcased in exhibitions and projects across Japan, Korea, the USA, and Mexico, connecting with audiences far and wide. She has also completed a number of public murals across Japan and abroad including Tokyo, Kobe and Manchester (UK).
For catalogue of available work or commission inquiries please contact: info@akariuragami.com
Photo by Dan Medhurst
CV
Born and raised in Tokyo, 1989
Based in Tokyo and Kanagawa, Japan
EDUCATION:
2012
BA in Textile at Musashino Art University, Tokyo, Japan
Modelisme at ESMOD TOKYO
SELECT SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2024
Landscapes of Utopia, K Art Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2023
Local ritual, LAID BUG, Tokyo, Japan
2018
Reality Check, Marinship studios, CA, USA
2016
TRANSPOSE, KIAN Art Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2015
hunting, Gallery Omotesando DiEGO, Tokyo, Japan
SELECT GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2024
The Collective II, Visionary Projects, NY, USA
2023
Hysteria Kolectiva, matamoros404, Oaxaca, Mexico
group exhibition, Ohashi Kaikan, Tokyo, Japan
2022
Viscera/Epiphora, Compound Yucca Valley, CA, USA
2021
P.O.N.D, selected as the entrance art, PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
exhibition Sayonara Gallery Tsukigime, Gallery Tsukigime, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
2018
All visual LA, The Forge, CA, USA
2012
Selected Works from Musashino Art University Degree Show, Musashino Art University Museum & Library, Tokyo, Japan
PROJECTS AND RESIDENCY:
2025
Artwork for all floors of Soil Nagatoyumoto, Yamaguchi, Japan
2022
Public art / Collaboration with The Conran Shop, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
2021
Public art for Hibiya Fort Tower, Tokyo, Japan
2020
Public art for GREEN SPRINGS, Produced by TACHIHI HOLDINGS Co.,Ltd-
Area management and artistic direction by SPIRAL / Wacoal Art Center, Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan
Artist in residence at Koganecho AIR, Tokyo, Japan
2019
Artwork for Floating Points Japan tour at VENT TOKYO, Tokyo, Japan
Artist in residence and public art at Mustard hotel, Tokyo, Japan
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHIES and MEDIA:
Appeared on Podcast “Sound and Vision”, NY, USA
MADE IN JAPAN 2023, cover art and interview
Japanese magazine Mina
PARCO SPECIAL IN YOU.
Appeared on Podcast “ART PERSONALS”, COMPOUND YUCCA VALLEY, LA, USA
WWD Japan Vol.2206
Mural at Mustard hotel was broadcast on Japanese TV program, NIPPON TV
Interviewed by GREEN SPRINGS
Qetic Magazine, Tokyo, Japan
TOKYO WEEKENDER MAGAZINE "5 TOKYO CREATIVES TO WATCH", Japan
quint magazine, Amsterdam, Netherlands
AXIS Magazine vol.156, Japan.
AWARDS:
2019
Tachihi public art award2020
2012
The Outstanding Graduate Award, Musashino Art University, Tokyo, Japan
2011
Selected and commercialized textile competition in Nishiwaki, Hyogo, Japan