Naohiro Ukawa

A contemporary “current” artist. Born in Takamatsu city, Kagawa, Japan in 1968.
Naohiro Ukawa is a professor of Department of Information Design at Kyoto University of Art and Design.
The multi-talented artist is carrying out wide range of activities such as being a filmmaker,
a graphic designer, a VJ, a writer and contemporary artist which is called “current” artist.
His activity as a ”MEDIA THERAPIST” is currently one of the most freely-expressed activities in Japan and breaks the mold of typical fine arts and mass culture.
In Japan, the originator of VJs is him. His artworks have been released in “BUZZ CLUB” at PS1 MOMA New York,
“Exhibition: JAM” at Barbican art gallery London, and other plenty of exhibitions both inside and outside Japan. He was a judge at Japan Media Art Festival from 2013 to 2015 and at Ars electronica (Linz, Austria) in 2015. He is the first person who expresses awesome using the word “Yabai” which originally means dangerous in the end of the 80’s and nowadays the word became a slang widely spoken among Japanese. And also his expressions of a large quantity of exclamation marks “!!!!!!!” in his sentences brought new ideas of admiration and emphasis to Japanese in the early 90’s before SNS became common. In March 2010, He started the livestream studio and channel, “DOMMUNE” all of a sudden. It has been a popular topic of conversation both inside and outside the country and became one of the most viewed channcels since it was started. Ugawa’s occupation field is currently “DOMMUNE”. His writting works: “@DOMMUNE-FINAL MEDIA teaches you the super magic of livestream” (Kawade Shobo Shinsha Publishers inc.) etc. Videography: “MAD HAT LAUGHS!!!!!” (Ki/oon / SONY) etc. Discography: “ZOUNDTRACK” as UKAWANIMATION! (avex trax) etc.
He has been energetically released his artworks in contemporary art exhibitions inside and outside Japan. His marvelous talent allowed him to work as a director, curator and a chief juror at the same time at Takamatsu Media Art Festival. DOMMUNE Linz satellite studio which is 500 meters wide was opened in Train Hall at Ars electronica in 2016 and the livestream from Austria became a hot topic among the world.
www.dommune.com