As a Deaf, gay, Japanese, cisgender man, I possess a unique visual language that is best viewed, or understood, through a multifaceted and multicultural lens.

Broadly speaking, my work defies “easy” categorization and incorporates a vast aesthetic range of artistic materials, including metalsmithing / jewelry-making, painting, sculpture, photography, graphic design, typography, fabrics, ceramics, and mixed media (especially experimental applications of papier-mâché and disposable waste / recyclable materials).  Through forms and images that are at once colorful, whimsical, and which could be described – at various points – as uncanny, bizarre, innocent, risqué, grotesque, and humorous, I explore a variety of universal topics and themes, including pop culture, sex and gender, nature, memory, family, and death.

I enjoy simultaneously celebrating and subverting notions of beauty and celebrity, and my work often attempts to challenge traditional stereotypes (across both Eastern and Western cultures) surrounding issues such as gender identity, gender roles, sexual orientation, aging and ageism, disability, trauma and loss, and the expected societal “norms” associated with all of these.  

My artistic style is influenced by a kaleidoscopic mix of specific artists, historical artistic movements, and cultural symbols and objects spanning continental divides and time periods, ranging from styles such as Mannerism and realism, to imagery drawn from religious iconography and Mexican folk art, to artists as diverse as Sandro Botticelli, Frida Kahlo, Tom of Finland (Touko Laaksonen), Kehinde Wiley, and Pierre et Gilles.  I am also equally inspired by the work of certain fellow Japanese artists, including Katsushika Hokusai, Sadao Hasegawa, Rune Naito, and Yayoi Kusama.