AKARI URAGAMI

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 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).

日本語