Sebastian Masuda

Sebastian Masuda
Sebastian Masuda at the 27th Annual Tokyo International Film Festival
Born (1970-08-07) August 7, 1970 (age 54)
Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan
Occupation(s)Artist, art director, and producer

Sebastian Masuda (増田 セバスチャン, Masuda Sebasuchan, born August 7, 1970), is a Japanese artist, art director, and producer of the Harajuku shop 6%DOKIDOKI. Born in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. He has been active from 1995 to current day.[1][2]

He has directed and designed performances for Kyary Pamyu Pamyu.[3][4] He is known as a pioneer of kawaii culture and often referred to as the "king of kawaii"[5] or "father of kawaii"[6]

Career

Masuda was born in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. He began his career in the world of theater and contemporary art, but in 1995, Sebastian opened 6%DOKIDOKI in Ura-Harajuku.[7][8] Celebrities have visited 6%DOKIDOKI, including Conan O'Brien,[9] and clothing and accessories have been worn by BLACKPINK, and Nicki Minaj.[10][4]

He was the art director for Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's Pon Pon Pon music video in 2011, which garnered international attention.[3][11] He designed the Kawaii Monster Cafe in Harajuku,[12][13] which had been a tourist destination, including visits from celebrities Kim Kardashian,[14] singer Dua Lipa and Jenny of K-pop’s Blackpink,[15] Sushidelic in SoHo, Manhattan, New York City,[citation needed] and "Miracle Gift Parade" to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the opening of Sanrio Puroland.[16]

In 2014, he began his first solo exhibition Colorful Rebellion -Seventh Nightmare- in New York.[17]

In 2017, he was appointed as a Cultural Envoy by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and he has lived in the Netherlands while producing artwork, he has traveled to the African continent doing workshops and lectures.[18] He is a visiting professor for Kyoto University of Art and Design and Yokohama College of Art and Design.[19] He was also a visiting scholar at the Department of East Asian Studies at NYU[20]

Solo exhibitions

  • 2014「Colorful Rebellion –Seventh nightmare-」(Kianga Ellis Projects, New York February 28, 2014 – March 29, 2014) (Young At Art Museum, Miami July 12, 2014 – January 5, 2015) (Padiglione Visconti, Italy April 14, 2015 – April 19, 2015) (Terrada T-Art Gallery, Tokyo December 18 – 27, 2015) (Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam September 28, 2018 – September 1, 2019)[21]
  • 2015「TRUE COLORS」(T-Art Gallery, Tokyo)[22]
  • 2016 「TRUE COLORS」(Ronin Gallery, New York)[23]
  • 2017 「Point-Rhythm World -Monet's Microcosm- “」(POLA Museum of Art)[24]
  • 2017 「YOUR COLORS」(ROPPONGI HILLS A/D GALLERY)[25]
  • 2019 「FOREVER COLORS」(ROPPONGI HILLS A/D GALLERY)[26]

Group exhibitions

  • December 6, 2014  Time After Time Capsule in Miami[27]
  • May 3, 2015  Time After Time Capsule in NYC / Dag Hammarskjold Plaza[28][29]
  • November 13, 2015 – May 2016  Time After Time Capsule NY Hello Kitty meets Seattle / EMP Museum[30]
  • April 13–16 2016 Time After Time Capsule in Washington, D.C. / Japan Bowl, National Cherry Blossom Festival[31]
  • July 3, 2016  Time After Time Capsule in London / Camden Market North Yard[32][33]
  • July 7–10, 2016   Time After Time Capsule in Paris / Japan Expo[34]
  • July 23–24, 2016    Time After Time Capsule in San Francisco/J-POP SUMMIT[35]
  • November 26, 27, 2016  Time After Time Capsule in Singapore / Anime Festival Asia[36]
  • Nov 1, 2016 – Jan 29, 2017  Time After Time Capsule in Los Angeles / Japanese American National Museum[37]
  • May 14, 2017  Time After Time Capsule in NYC vol.2 / Japan Day at Central Park[38]
  • Oct. 13, 2017 – Ma 18, 2018  Time After Time Capsule in Alaska / ”The Art of Fandom” at Anchorage Museum[39]
  • November 26, 2017   Time After Time Capsule in Cape Town, South Africa / V&A Water Front[40]
  • November 30, 2017  Time After Time Capsule in Luanda, Republic of Angola / Angola National School of Arts
  • January 13, 2018   Time After Time Capsule in La Paz, Bolivia / Cinemateca Boliviana[41]
  • January 20, 2018  Time After Time Capsule in Sao Paulo, Brazil / Japan House[42]
  • 2017「The Doremon Exhibition TOKYO 2017」Mori Arts Center Gallery, Tokyo[43]
  • 2019「Gaping Hole Secret」Reborn Art Festival 2019[44]
  • 2020「Primal Pop (Pac-Man Mix)」The Museum of Pac-Man Art, Tokyo[45]
  • 2020「Gaping Hole Secret」Kurkku Fields, Japan[46]

References

  1. ^ "Sebastian Masuda's "True Colors" Art Exhibition Opens To The Public in Tokyo – Tokyo Fashion". December 26, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  2. ^ Kelts, Roland (March 13, 2014). "Masuda's mission to take Harajuku art global". The Japan Times. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Dazed (June 26, 2014). "Kawaii champion Sebastian Masuda invites us in". Dazed. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Dazed (November 23, 2012). "6%DOKIDOKI studio visit". Dazed. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  5. ^ Kelts, Roland (March 13, 2014). "Sebastian Masuda's mission to take Harajuku art global". The Japan Times. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  6. ^ "Kawaii Somen noodles in colorful box with art by Sebastian Masuda". Japan Today. July 16, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  7. ^ Thomas, Samuel (July 2, 2013). "Let's talk 100 percent kawaii!". The Japan Times. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  8. ^ "6% Dokidoki". Time Out Tokyo. January 8, 2016. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  9. ^ Bayle, Alfred (September 4, 2018). "WATCH: Conan O'Brien dresses up Harajuku style in Japan". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  10. ^ "6% DOKIDOKI". The COMM. June 10, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  11. ^ "iTunes各国で話題に！ きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ＆増田セバスチャン『PONPONPON』PVのこだわり ｜ ガジェット通信 GetNews". ガジェット通信 GetNews (in Japanese). August 9, 2011. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  12. ^ "sebastian masuda brings chromatic craziness to kawaii monster cafe". designboom | architecture & design magazine. August 7, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  13. ^ "Tokyo's Kawaii Monster Cafe". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  14. ^ "Kim & Kourtney Kardashian Went to the Most Instagrammable Ice Cream Parlor in Japan". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  15. ^ Wang, Chris Gallagher, Irene (February 1, 2021). "Psychedelic hues of Tokyo's 'kawaii' cafe doused by pandemic". Reuters. Retrieved September 3, 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ "Miracle Gift Parade | サンリオピューロランド". www.puroland.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  17. ^ Dazed (June 26, 2014). "Kawaii champion Sebastian Masuda invites us in". Dazed. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  18. ^ "Japan Cultural Envoy Official Website".
  19. ^ "Japan Cultural Envoy Sebastian Masuda to Visit Anchorage". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  20. ^ "Sebastian Masuda – PAST VISITING SCHOLARS -Department of East Asian Studies – NYU".
  21. ^ "インスタレーション作品「"Colorful Rebellion" –Seventh Nightmare-」(2014)". 増田セバスチャン[Sebastian Masuda] OFFICIAL WEBSITE (in Japanese). March 3, 2014. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  22. ^ "Sebastian Masuda's "True Colors" Art Exhibition Opens To The Public in Tokyo – Tokyo Fashion". December 26, 2015. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  23. ^ "True Colors: Sebastian Masuda". Ronin Gallery.
  24. ^ "Point-Rhythm World 2018 -Monet's Microcosm- | POLA Museum of Art". Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  25. ^ "Sebastian Masuda "YOUR COLORS" | Roppongi Hills Museum / Observatory". art-view.roppongihills.com. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  26. ^ "Masuda Sebastian "Forever Colors" | Roppongi Hills Museum / Observatory". art-view.roppongihills.com. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  27. ^ "Sebastian Masuda To Debut Kawaii Time Capsule During Art Basel Miami – Tokyo Fashion". Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  28. ^ Hersh, Anne (May 8, 2015). "Hello Kitty Time Capsule | Friends of Dag Hammarskjold Plaza". Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  29. ^ Foreman, Liza (May 12, 2015). "Why Has a Giant 'Hello Kitty' Just Landed in New York?". The Daily Beast. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  30. ^ "See all things Hello Kitty at EMP's new exhibit". HeraldNet.com. November 13, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  31. ^ "Giant Domo-kun Joins Sebastian Masuda's Project, Time After Time Capsule! | Fashion News | Tokyo Otaku Mode (TOM) Shop: Figures & Merch From Japan". otakumode.com. April 28, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  32. ^ "This Cute Japanese Fad Is About To Invade London". Londonist. July 12, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  33. ^ "Sebastian Masuda, one of the ringleaders of Japan's kawaii culture, is bringing a time capsule to London | Culture24". www.culture24.org.uk. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  34. ^ tokyoatparis (July 26, 2016). "Entretien avec Sebastian MASUDA @ Japan Expo". Tokyo@Paris (in French). Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  35. ^ "Asia Pacific Arts: JPOP Summit 2016 with Sebastian Masuda". asiapacificarts.usc.edu. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  36. ^ hermes (December 22, 2016). "Ambassador of all things kawaii". The Straits Times. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  37. ^ "Time After Time Capsule | Japanese American National Museum". www.janm.org. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  38. ^ Susan (May 10, 2017). "Japan Day @ Central Park". JapanCulture•NYC. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  39. ^ "The Art of Fandom". Anchorage Museum. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  40. ^ "Time After Time Capsule". Cape Town Travel. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  41. ^ "【Conferencia y taller del Sr. Sebastian Masuda, Embajador de la Cultura Japonesa y Promotor de Cultura Kawaii】". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (in Spanish). Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  42. ^ ABCdoABC, Portal do. "Time after time capsule – a cápsula do tempo de Sebastian Masuda". www.abcdoabc.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  43. ^ "THE ドラえもん展 KYOTO 2021". THE ドラえもん展 KYOTO 2021 (in Japanese). Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  44. ^ "増田セバスチャンによるナイトイベント「ぽっかりあいた穴の秘密：秘密のはなし」". Reborn-Art Festival 2019 (in Japanese). Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  45. ^ "The Museum of PAC-MAN Art, tokyo│ The Official Site for PAC-MAN - Video Games & More". The Museum of PAC-MAN Art, tokyo│ The Official Site for PAC-MAN - Video Games & More (in Japanese). Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  46. ^ "「"自然と食の大冒険" FOOD ADVENTURE 」を2020年8月7日( 金 )より開催。 タイニーハウスの宿泊プランや、新作アート公開も同時スタート！". KURKKU FIELDS（クルックフィールズ）– 人と農と食とアート - (in Japanese). August 21, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2021.