Biography: 

Emi Kusano, a Tokyo-based multidisciplinary artist, employs AI to merge past and future aesthetics, challenging our perceptions of art and technology. Her work, gracing the cover of WWD Japan and featured in Christie's and Gucci auctions, has been internationally exhibited at venues like the Saatchi Gallery and 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa. As a co-founder of 'Shinsei Galverse', she pioneers in the Web3 artistic movement, leveraging AI in anime creation.

Full Bio: 

Emi Kusano, born in Tokyo in 1990, began her artistic journey as a street photographer on the streets of Harajuku in her teens, leading to an exhibit at the V&A Museum. As a multidisciplinary artist, she explores the intersections of retro-futurism and modern technological acceleration. Her unique AI-infused art has graced the cover of WWD Japan and been featured in Christie's and Gucci auctions. Internationally recognized, her work has been exhibited at venues such as the Saatchi Gallery and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, and has been collected in more than a dozen countries around the world.

In addition to her visual arts career, Emi is the lead singer and self-producer for Satellite Young, a band that creatively reinterprets 80s J-POP styles through a modern, technologically-driven, sci-fi lens. This innovative approach has garnered international recognition, including an appearance at SXSW 2017, and extends their creativity to installations. 

Artist Statement:

In my work, I explore the transient nature of memories through the lens of retro-futurism, melding the past's vision of the future with today's reality. This exploration springs from a fascination with the nostalgic allure of vintage science fiction and the timeless aesthetic of 60's ~90s pop culture.

Utilizing a blend of artificial intelligence and various mediums such as photography, music, anime, digital fashion, and installation, I create visual narratives that delve into the whimsical and sometimes melancholy interplay between memory and modernity. The choice of medium is integral to my exploration, as it mirrors the rapid technological advancements that continually shape and reshape our perceptions of the past and the future.

Inspired by the Japanese Animistic belief, my work is also an ode to the ever-evolving relationship between humanity and technology. It's a quest to understand how our collective nostalgia, fueled by the media and pop culture of yesteryears, influences our expectations and acceptance of the technology that propels us forward.

【Project】

• Co-founder of Web3 Anime Project Shinsei Galverse

• Lead Singer and Music Composer, Synthwave Music Unit Satellite Young

【Positon】

• Part-time Lecturer, Tokyo University of the Arts

• CEO / Co-Founder, Fictionera Co., Ltd.

• Co-Director / Co-Founder, Wagami Labs Co., Ltd.

【Education】

• 2015・Keio University BA -  Design 

【Selected Exhibitions】

• 2024-03: Now in Digital Art: Game Room(Akbank Sanat, Istanbul)

• 2023-12. Neural Fad:  AI dreams Nostalgia,   “NIPPON   TV IMAGINARIUM AWARD 2023” award jury presentation, organized by NIPPON TV, (Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo)

• 2023-12. The Gateway Miami - Art Basel Miami (Ferena Forum)

• 2023-10: "DXP (Digital Transformation Planet): Towards the Next Interface" (21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa)

• 2023-10: Long Live London (Saatchi Gallery)

• 2023-09: "E-Motions" (UNIT London)

• 2023-07: "Christie's 3.0 presents Future Frequencies: Explorations in Generative Art and Fashion in collaboration with Gucci" (Rockefeller Center)

• 2023-06: "Non Fungible Conference" (Carlos Lopes Pavilion)

• 2023-05: "Bright Moments Tokyo" (Shibuya Parco)

• 2020-08: "Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk" (Victoria and Albert Museum)

• 2019-11: "SIGGRAPH ASIA Art Gallery" (Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre)

• 2018-03: "Art Hack Day" (National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation)

• 2011-04: "Japan Fashion Now" (Fashion Institute of Technology, New York)

* For information on all exhibitions and event appearances, please click here​

【Award】​

• Winning Prize 「SIGGRAPH Asia Art Gallery」

• Jury Award 「Art Hack Day 2018」​