Katsuhiko Akasegawa (赤瀬川 克彦, Akasegawa Katsuhiko; March 27, 1937 – October 26, 2014), known by his pseudonym Genpei…
Katsuhiko Akasegawa (赤瀬川 克彦, Akasegawa Katsuhiko; March 27, 1937 – October 26, 2014), known by his pseudonym Genpei Akasegawa (赤瀬川 原平, Akasegawa Genpei), was a Japanese artist and writer. In literary works, he also went by Katsuhiko Otsuji (尾辻 克彦, Otsuji Katsuhiko). A member of the influential artist groups Neo-Dada Organizers and Hi-Red Center, Akasegawa went on to maintain a multi-disciplinary practice throughout his career as an individual artist. He is also known for having coined the term and concept of Hyperart Thomasson and for having founded the Rojō Kansatsu Gakkai (路上観察学会; lit. 'Street Observation Society'). Akasegawa has had retrospective exhibitions at the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Chiba City Museum, and Oita City Museum. His work is in the permanent collection at Museum of Modern Art in New York. Artist Nam June Paik has described Akasegawa as "one of those unexportable geniuses of Japan".
Famous Alumni of Musashino Art University
Musashino Art University: 71 people
Shusei Nagaoka (長岡秀星, Nagaoka Shūsei; November 26, 1936 – June 23, 2015) was a Japanese illustrator.
Shūichi Higurashi (日暮修一) (1936 – April 13, 2012) was a Japanese manga illustrator and magazine artist. Higurashi was…
Shūichi Higurashi (日暮修一) (1936 – April 13, 2012) was a Japanese manga illustrator and magazine artist. Higurashi was the cover artist for Big Comic, a Japanese manga magazine, for more than forty years, from 1970 until fall 2011. Higurashi was raised in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture. He studied at Musashino Art School, now known as Musashino Art University, a progressive university with a curriculum in fine arts and industrial design. He became head of character illustration at Big Comic in 1970. Each issue of Big Comic during this era featured a large caricature of a famous individual on the cover, typically sports stars, actors and, politicians. All were drawn by Higurashi in his signature style of a large head relative to a small body. His drawings became a trademark of the magazine. Higurashi was well known for his work outside of Big Comic. He and his younger brother, the Mainichi Shinbun copywriter Higurashi Shinzō (b. 1944), wrote and illustrated the long-running series Shūichi, Shinzō no mōningu jakku for the Sunday edition of the newspaper. The series ran from 1981 until 2006. In addition to his illustrations, Higurashi also illustrated for the defunct magazine Rapita, and worked as a business advertisement designer. To mark his 25th anniversary as the cover artist with Big Comic, the Shogakukan publisher released a book of his cover illustrations in 1994 titled "Big na Kao". In 2000, Higurashi received a special Shogakukan Manga Award for his lifetime achievement as a manga illustrator. In 2006 Higurashi was the feature of an exhibition of his works at the Matsudo Cultural Hall. Higurashi stepped down as cover illustrator of Big Comic in fall 2011 due to declining health. He died in Tokyo from pneumonia on April 13, 2012, at the age of 75. Higurashi was survived by his wife, Kazuko.
Taku Aramasa (新正 卓, Aramasa Taku; born 15 August 1936) is a Japanese photographer.
Keiichi Tanaami (21 July 1936 – 9 August 2024) was a Japanese pop artist who was active as multi-genre artist from the…
Keiichi Tanaami (21 July 1936 – 9 August 2024) was a Japanese pop artist who was active as multi-genre artist from the 1960s as a graphic designer, illustrator, video artist and fine artist.
Shūsaku Arakawa (荒川 修作, Arakawa Shūsaku; July 6, 1936 – May 19, 2010) was a Japanese conceptual artist and architect.…
Shūsaku Arakawa (荒川 修作, Arakawa Shūsaku; July 6, 1936 – May 19, 2010) was a Japanese conceptual artist and architect. He had a personal and artistic partnership with the writer and artist Madeline Gins that spanned more than four decades in which they collaborated on a diverse range of visual mediums, including: painting & printmaking, experimental filmmaking, performance art, and architectural & landscape design. Throughout his life, Arakawa frequently infused his works with philosophical ideas that considered art's intrinsic functions, human perceptions of the physical world, and the language of signs, symbols, and visual meanings. These thematic elements were based on the writings and theories authored by key figures in Science, Philosophy, and Art History: Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. Beginning in the 1960s, Arakawa's work attracted positive responses from the Western art world and led to his representation at numerous esteemed galleries and museums: the Dwan Gallery, Gagosian, The National Museum of Modern Art, Centre Pompidou, David Barnett Gallery, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Arakawa and Gins founded The Reversible Destiny Foundation in which they designed architectural sites that were aimed toward the longevity of human life expectancy. Moreover, they established the Architectural Body Research Foundation in 1987 as a non-profit research group that stimulated multidisciplinary studies with renowned biologists, neuroscientists, quantum physicists, and medical doctors on the nature of life and death. Arakawa usually referred to himself by his surname only, which eventually came to be more commonly practiced by him during his career in the United States and Europe.
Yūtokutaishi Akiyama (秋山 祐徳太子, Akiyama Yūtokutaishi) (1935 – 3 April 2020), born Sukenori Akiyama (秋山 祐徳), was a…
Yūtokutaishi Akiyama (秋山 祐徳太子, Akiyama Yūtokutaishi) (1935 – 3 April 2020), born Sukenori Akiyama (秋山 祐徳), was a Japanese engraver artist, photographer, and occasional politician.
Tōru "Tohl" Narita (成田 亨, Narita Tōru; pronounced [nəˈriːtə]; September 3, 1929 – February 26, 2002) was a Japanese…
Tōru "Tohl" Narita (成田 亨, Narita Tōru; pronounced [nəˈriːtə]; September 3, 1929 – February 26, 2002) was a Japanese visual artist. He is best known for creating the characters and mechanics for the television programs in the Ultra series: Ultra Q, Ultraman, and Ultraseven.
Jiun Aoki (青木 慈雲, Aoki Jiun; February 1929 – April 11, 1998) was a Japanese Buddhist monk and artist. He served as head…
Jiun Aoki (青木 慈雲, Aoki Jiun; February 1929 – April 11, 1998) was a Japanese Buddhist monk and artist. He served as head priest at Daihon-zan Myōson-ji (大本山妙尊寺) in Mie Prefecture, Sōhon-zan Ryūkaku-ji (総本山龍覚寺) in Yamanashi Prefecture, and Myōkai-ji (妙海寺) in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Tappei Shimokawa (下川 辰平, Tappei Shimokawa; December 11, 1928 – March 25, 2004) was a Japanese actor. He attended…
Tappei Shimokawa (下川 辰平, Tappei Shimokawa; December 11, 1928 – March 25, 2004) was a Japanese actor. He attended Musashino Art University, but withdrew before completing his degree. In 1964, he joined Bungakuza Theatre Company but left in 1977. He is well known for his role as Chōsan (Detective Tarō Nozaki) in the detective drama television series Taiyō ni Hoero!. His notable films are The Sands of Kurobe (1968), Akira Kurosawas film Dodes'ka-den (1970) and Kimi yo Fundo no Kawa o Watare (1976).
Jōsaku Maeda (前田常作, Maeda Jōsaku, 14 July 1926 – 13 October 2007) was a Japanese painter and printmaker known for…
Jōsaku Maeda (前田常作, Maeda Jōsaku, 14 July 1926 – 13 October 2007) was a Japanese painter and printmaker known for abstract paintings based on Buddhist mandala structures.
Shigeru Mura (Japanese: 武良 茂, Hepburn: Mura Shigeru; March 8, 1922 – November 30, 2015), best known by his pen name…
Shigeru Mura (Japanese: 武良 茂, Hepburn: Mura Shigeru; March 8, 1922 – November 30, 2015), best known by his pen name Shigeru Mizuki (水木 しげる, Mizuki Shigeru), was a Japanese manga artist, illustrator and folklorist. He is best known for popularizing and reviving interest in yōkai, supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore, especially through his most famous series GeGeGe no Kitarō. Raised in Sakaiminato, Mizuki developed an early interest in art and the supernatural. Drafted during World War II, he lost his left arm in combat, an experience that deeply shaped his later antimilitarist works, including Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths. Mizuki began his career in kamishibai (paper theater) and transitioned to manga in the late 1950s. His signature style contrasted cartoonish characters with highly detailed backgrounds and grotesque depictions of yōkai. Deeply influenced by oral folklore, especially stories told by a woman he called "Nonnonba," he also engaged in extensive ethnographic research. His works often combined autobiography, history, and fantasy to critique modernization, nationalism, and imperialism. A recipient of numerous awards, his legacy extends into global pop culture through translations, adaptations, and homages in media.
Chang Ucchin (Korean: 장욱진; Hanja: 張旭鎭, 26 November 1917 – 27 December 1990) was one of the most representative modern…
Chang Ucchin (Korean: 장욱진; Hanja: 張旭鎭, 26 November 1917 – 27 December 1990) was one of the most representative modern Korean artists. He was known for his oil paintings that depicted Korean sceneries, animals, and children in simple and naive painting styles.
Ume Aoki (Japanese: 蒼樹 うめ, Hepburn: Aoki Ume; born August 3, 1981) is a Japanese manga artist, illustrator, animator…
Ume Aoki (Japanese: 蒼樹 うめ, Hepburn: Aoki Ume; born August 3, 1981) is a Japanese manga artist, illustrator, animator, voice actress, and dōjin artist from Hyōgo Prefecture. She officially romanizes her name as aokiume. She illustrates under the pennames apricot+ for many of her dōjinshi, and Apply Fujimiya (藤宮 アプリ, Fujimiya Apuri) for the visual novel Sanarara. Aoki provided the voice for her Metapod persona in the Shaft anime adaptation of her four-panel comic strip Hidamari Sketch. She later created the original character designs for Puella Magi Madoka Magica, a Shaft anime production; and has been involved with the franchise—spanning several films, mobile games, manga, novels, and further television anime series—since then.
Seiko Oomori (大森靖子, Ōmori Seiko; born 18 September 1987) is a Japanese singer-songwriter. Her musical career began in…
Seiko Oomori (大森靖子, Ōmori Seiko; born 18 September 1987) is a Japanese singer-songwriter. Her musical career began in the underground music culture of Tokyo's Kōenji neighborhood, briefly playing in the punk band Kuchuu Moranko before going solo and releasing two independent albums until signing with major record label Avex Trax in 2014. Oomori's music style is influenced by idol culture and punk rock among other clashing musical styles, and she is considered one of the early pioneers of the "anti-idol" and alternative idol scenes led by groups like BiS that would eventually give way to the more popular Kawaii metal movement, utilizing shock value and performance art throughout the early parts of her career.
Daisuke Nakagawa (中川 大輔, Nakagawa Daisūke; born January 5, 1998) is a Japanese actor and model signed under the talent…
Daisuke Nakagawa (中川 大輔, Nakagawa Daisūke; born January 5, 1998) is a Japanese actor and model signed under the talent agency Ken-On.
Shinro Ohtake (大竹 伸朗, Ōtake Shinrō; born 8 October 1955) is a Japanese artist who was born in Tokyo and lives in…
Shinro Ohtake (大竹 伸朗, Ōtake Shinrō; born 8 October 1955) is a Japanese artist who was born in Tokyo and lives in Uwajima, Japan. He paints, creates installations and designs record covers and book covers. He has published dozens of books, such as a dream diary, a picture book, essays and art books.
Fumie Shibata (柴田 文江, Shibata Fumie) is a product designer who is actively based in Tokyo. She handles designs for a…
Fumie Shibata (柴田 文江, Shibata Fumie) is a product designer who is actively based in Tokyo. She handles designs for a wide range of products, from electronics to household items, medical equipment, and even total direction duties for hotels. She is recognized for her gentle and elaborately detailed expressions of form, and she has received very high acclaim primarily throughout Asia. She is one of the most influential female designers in Japan, and she served as Chair of the Judging Committee for the Good Design Award from 2018 to 2020. She is a Japan Design Committee member.
Eri Matsui (松居 エリ; 1952 in Aichi Prefecture) is a Japanese fashion designer known for mathematically inspired designs.
Izumi Katō (Japanese: 加藤 泉, Hepburn: Katō Izumi; born 1969) is a Japanese contemporary artist, painter, and sculptor.
Hisaji Hara is a Japanese photographer.