"It's hard to be a woman and a graffiti artist", she once said about being a woman in the street art scene. In a largely male-dominated scene, Aiko is an influential figure in contemporary urban art. Lady Aiko is a Japanese artist born in Tokyo and based in Brooklyn, New York. Characters usually appear in his work that show a combination of humor and melancholy on their faces, providing a unique vision of the world, using a characteristic illustrative and cartoonish style. His work can be seen in a wide range of media, from murals, canvases and clothing brands. He discovered graffiti after moving to the United States when he was 17. In 2013 he gave an interesting interview, in which he mentioned that practicing skateboarding had helped him to get to know the city in other completely different way and find the best “spots” to capture his work. One of the most recognized graffiti artists in Japan, heavily influenced by Twist's work, paints characters very similar to McGee's. Many of them live outside the country and curiously, in this category of "muralist" artists we find a greater number of women. On the other hand, this type of practice being generally legal, artists enjoy more time to produce their pieces and promoters/organizers provide them with large spaces and good quality materials. However, the vast majority of classic and illegal graffiti writers in Japan prefer to stay anonymous when it comes to advertising their image. Some of them are very famous even on social media and are not afraid to show their image in public. It is an example of only virtual public art without being materialized.ĭoes this mean that Japan does not have great artists who dedicate themselves to graffiti legally? Or how the media likes to label them: street artists or muralists? Of course not, there are many Japanese artist of incredible talent. All his digital interventions carried out since 2016 can be found both in his Instagram profile and in his eponymous book published in May of this same year 2020. The only example found of this last type of practice has been this anonymous artist who transforms the so famous garbage cans in Japan that are placed next to the drink dispensing machines, placing arms, mouths. That’s the reason why the most prominent pieces that we can find around town are from foreign street artists. Even practices as widespread in Europe and the United States as paste up or stencil, are practically non-existent in Japan. It’s marked by humor, satire and often sharp criticism of certain societal issues, most often consumerism.)…] is completely non-existent. While on occasion we can find tags and throw-ups, street art or what we qualify as urban intervention ]such as sculptures, installations, adbusting( the practice of altering and making satirical interventions on public, corporate or political advertisements. However, new graffiti artists have gained popularity, taking over a large number of commercial shutters and party walls in the city such as MINT. In articles written about graffiti in Tokyo in which this crew is mentioned, some members stand out who are currently very difficult to find, since these pieces have already been erased. Although unfortunately in recent years they are not that active as they once were in the 90’s and the 00’s. This crew has been in charge of bombing practically all the shutters of establishments in the city, both in the center and in the suburbs. Even so, there is the group 246 in which are the best known Japanese graffiti artists in the country, apart from a few foreigners, who join them to create the best plan to painting and find the best locations in town. Finding native graffiti artists is a bit more complicated.
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