Masuda, Sebastian (1970 - Present)
Born in Chiba in 1970, Masuda is a contemporary artist and father of kawaii culture. In 1995, he opened his now iconic store 6%DOKIDOKI and his boundless imagination sparked a unique and thriving community. Over the past 20 years, Masuda has explored this vision across stage, screen and museums worldwide. From music videos with pop icons, to a giant Hello Kitty in New York, his work revives a childlike sense of wonder in his audience and impels participation. As his mediums and methods continue to evolve, his collaborative practice remains at the core of his work. Masuda plays on the major channels of pop culture to engage a vast audience in his unique vision. He designs visuals for some of Japan’s top brands, sets for film and theater, and the videos of superstar Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. Masuda speaks internationally at museums, conferences and other events. His solo exhibitions include last year’s wildly popular Colorful Rebellion: Seventh Nightmare, held in Milan, Miami and New York, and Acchi to Kocchi (2016) in Tokyo. His ongoing project, Time After Time Capsule, consists of ten enormous kawaii time capsules to be filled with items personalized by the inhabitants of ten cities worldwide. In 2020, each time capsule will return to Tokyo to be assembled into a sculpture for the Olympic Games. True Colors presents the latest evolution in Masuda’s oeuvre, extolling his message that “color carries an emotional impact and frees the mind” through his dynamic multimedia collages.
Contemporary Japanese and East Asian Art
Ronin Gallery’s Contemporary art collection challenges the boundaries of tradition and innovation through the work of Japan's greatest contemporary artists and tomorrow’s most promising talents. Featured in museum exhibitions worldwide, contemporary Japanese and East Asian artists are pushing limits and exploring fresh techniques across mediums and styles. For many of the contemporary artists in this collection, inspiration sparks from an interweaving of old with new. Many combine traditional themes, tools, or materials with technology, contemporary themes, or innovative techniques. This hybrid expression is distinctly contemporary and unremittingly vital. From the Pop art legacy of the Shinohara’s to the foremost master of Japanese tattooing, Horiyoshi III, this collection of contemporary Japanese and East Asian art spans a wide range of media, including woodblock prints, screen prints, photography, etchings, paintings, sculpture, calligraphy, ceramics, and mixed media artworks.