Sebastian Masuda
Birth dateAugust 7, 1970 (age 56)
Birth placeMatsudo City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan
OccupationArtist, art director, and producer

Sebastian Masuda (増田 セバスチャン, Masuda Sebasuchan, born August 7, 1970), is a Japanese artist, art director, and producer of the Harajuku shop 6%DOKIDOKI. Born in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. He has been active from 1995 to current day.[1][2]

He has directed and designed performances for Kyary Pamyu Pamyu.[3][4] He is known as a pioneer of kawaii culture and often referred to as the "king of kawaii"[5] or "father of kawaii"[6]

Career

Masuda was born in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. He began his career in the world of theater and contemporary art, but in 1995, Sebastian opened 6%DOKIDOKI in Ura-Harajuku.[7][8] Celebrities have visited 6%DOKIDOKI, including Conan O'Brien,[9] and clothing and accessories have been worn by BLACKPINK, and Nicki Minaj.[10][4]

He was the art director for Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's Pon Pon Pon music video in 2011, which garnered international attention.[3][11] He designed the Kawaii Monster Cafe in Harajuku,[12][13] which had been a tourist destination, including visits from celebrities Kim Kardashian,[14] singer Dua Lipa and Jennie of K-pop’s Blackpink,[15] Sushidelic in SoHo, Manhattan, New York City,[16] and "Miracle Gift Parade" to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the opening of Sanrio Puroland.[17]

In 2014, he began his first solo exhibition Colorful Rebellion -Seventh Nightmare- in New York.[18]

In 2017, he was appointed as a Cultural Envoy by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and he has lived in the Netherlands while producing artwork, he has traveled to the African continent doing workshops and lectures.[19] He is a visiting professor for Kyoto University of Art and Design and Yokohama College of Art and Design.[20] He was also a visiting scholar at the Department of East Asian Studies at NYU[21]

Solo exhibitions

  • 2014「Colorful Rebellion –Seventh nightmare-」(Kianga Ellis Projects, New York February 28, 2014 – March 29, 2014) (Young At Art Museum, Miami July 12, 2014 – January 5, 2015) (Padiglione Visconti, Italy April 14, 2015 – April 19, 2015) (Terrada T-Art Gallery, Tokyo December 18 – 27, 2015) (Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam September 28, 2018 – September 1, 2019)[22]
  • 2015「TRUE COLORS」(T-Art Gallery, Tokyo)[23]
  • 2016 「TRUE COLORS」(Ronin Gallery, New York)[24]
  • 2017 「Point-Rhythm World -Monet's Microcosm- “」(POLA Museum of Art)[25]
  • 2017 「YOUR COLORS」(ROPPONGI HILLS A/D GALLERY)[26]
  • 2019 「FOREVER COLORS」(ROPPONGI HILLS A/D GALLERY)[27]

Group exhibitions

  • December 6, 2014  Time After Time Capsule in Miami[28]
  • May 3, 2015  Time After Time Capsule in NYC / Dag Hammarskjold Plaza[29][30]
  • November 13, 2015 – May 2016  Time After Time Capsule NY Hello Kitty meets Seattle / EMP Museum[31]
  • April 13–16 2016 Time After Time Capsule in Washington, D.C. / Japan Bowl, National Cherry Blossom Festival[32]
  • July 3, 2016  Time After Time Capsule in London / Camden Market North Yard[33][34]
  • July 7–10, 2016   Time After Time Capsule in Paris / Japan Expo[35]
  • July 23–24, 2016    Time After Time Capsule in San Francisco/J-POP SUMMIT[36]
  • November 26, 27, 2016  Time After Time Capsule in Singapore / Anime Festival Asia[37]
  • Nov 1, 2016 – Jan 29, 2017  Time After Time Capsule in Los Angeles / Japanese American National Museum[38]
  • May 14, 2017  Time After Time Capsule in NYC vol.2 / Japan Day at Central Park[39]
  • Oct. 13, 2017 – Ma 18, 2018  Time After Time Capsule in Alaska / ”The Art of Fandom” at Anchorage Museum[40]
  • November 26, 2017   Time After Time Capsule in Cape Town, South Africa / V&A Water Front[41]
  • November 30, 2017  Time After Time Capsule in Luanda, Republic of Angola / Angola National School of Arts
  • January 13, 2018   Time After Time Capsule in La Paz, Bolivia / Cinemateca Boliviana[42]
  • January 20, 2018  Time After Time Capsule in Sao Paulo, Brazil / Japan House[43]
  • 2017「The Doremon Exhibition TOKYO 2017」Mori Arts Center Gallery, Tokyo[44]
  • 2019「Gaping Hole Secret」Reborn Art Festival 2019[45]
  • 2020「Primal Pop (Pac-Man Mix)」The Museum of Pac-Man Art, Tokyo[46]
  • 2020「Gaping Hole Secret」Kurkku Fields, Japan[47]

References

  1. ^ "Sebastian Masuda's "True Colors" Art Exhibition Opens To The Public in Tokyo – Tokyo Fashion". December 26, 2015. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  2. ^ Kelts, Roland (2014-03-13). "Masuda's mission to take Harajuku art global". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  3. ^ Dazed (2014-06-26). "Kawaii champion Sebastian Masuda invites us in". Dazed. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  4. ^ Dazed (2012-11-23). "6%DOKIDOKI studio visit". Dazed. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  5. ^ Kelts, Roland (2014-03-13). "Sebastian Masuda's mission to take Harajuku art global". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  6. ^ "Kawaii Somen noodles in colorful box with art by Sebastian Masuda". Japan Today. July 16, 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  7. ^ Thomas, Samuel (2013-07-02). "Let's talk 100 percent kawaii!". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
  8. ^ "6% Dokidoki". Time Out Tokyo. January 8, 2016. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  9. ^ Bayle, Alfred (2018-09-04). "WATCH: Conan O'Brien dresses up Harajuku style in Japan". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  10. ^ "6% DOKIDOKI". The COMM. 2019-06-10. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  11. ^ "iTunes各国で話題に！ きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ＆増田セバスチャン『PONPONPON』PVのこだわり ｜ ガジェット通信 GetNews" (in Japanese). ガジェット通信 GetNews. 2011-08-09. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  12. ^ "sebastian masuda brings chromatic craziness to kawaii monster cafe". designboom | architecture & design magazine. 2015-08-07. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  13. ^ "Tokyo's Kawaii Monster Cafe". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  14. ^ "Kim & Kourtney Kardashian Went to the Most Instagrammable Ice Cream Parlor in Japan". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  15. ^ Wang, Chris Gallagher, Irene (2021-02-01). "Psychedelic hues of Tokyo's 'kawaii' cafe doused by pandemic". Reuters. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  16. ^ "Sushi-Delic, Gertrude and More NYC Restaurant Openings - The New York Times". Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  17. ^ "Miracle Gift Parade | サンリオピューロランド" (in Japanese). www.puroland.jp. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
  18. ^ Dazed (2014-06-26). "Kawaii champion Sebastian Masuda invites us in". Dazed. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
  19. ^ "Japan Cultural Envoy Official Website"
  20. ^ "Japan Cultural Envoy Sebastian Masuda to Visit Anchorage". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
  21. ^ "Sebastian Masuda – PAST VISITING SCHOLARS -Department of East Asian Studies – NYU"
  22. ^ "インスタレーション作品「"Colorful Rebellion" –Seventh Nightmare-」(2014)" (in Japanese). 増田セバスチャン[Sebastian Masuda] OFFICIAL WEBSITE. 2014-03-03. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  23. ^ "Sebastian Masuda's "True Colors" Art Exhibition Opens To The Public in Tokyo – Tokyo Fashion". December 26, 2015. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  24. ^ "True Colors: Sebastian Masuda". Ronin Gallery
  25. ^ "Point-Rhythm World 2018 -Monet's Microcosm- | POLA Museum of Art". Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  26. ^ "Sebastian Masuda "YOUR COLORS" | Roppongi Hills Museum / Observatory". art-view.roppongihills.com. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  27. ^ "Masuda Sebastian "Forever Colors" | Roppongi Hills Museum / Observatory". art-view.roppongihills.com. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  28. ^ "Sebastian Masuda To Debut Kawaii Time Capsule During Art Basel Miami – Tokyo Fashion". Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  29. ^ Hersh, Anne (May 8, 2015). "Hello Kitty Time Capsule | Friends of Dag Hammarskjold Plaza". Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  30. ^ Foreman, Liza (2015-05-12). "Why Has a Giant 'Hello Kitty' Just Landed in New York?". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  31. ^ "See all things Hello Kitty at EMP's new exhibit". HeraldNet.com. 2015-11-13. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  32. ^ "Giant Domo-kun Joins Sebastian Masuda's Project, Time After Time Capsule! | Fashion News | Tokyo Otaku Mode (TOM) Shop: Figures & Merch From Japan". otakumode.com. April 28, 2016. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  33. ^ "This Cute Japanese Fad Is About To Invade London". Londonist. 2016-07-12. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  34. ^ "Sebastian Masuda, one of the ringleaders of Japan's kawaii culture, is bringing a time capsule to London | Culture24". www.culture24.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  35. ^ tokyoatparis (2016-07-26). "Entretien avec Sebastian MASUDA @ Japan Expo" (in fr-FR). Tokyo@Paris. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  36. ^ "Asia Pacific Arts: JPOP Summit 2016 with Sebastian Masuda". asiapacificarts.usc.edu. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  37. ^ hermes (2016-12-22). "Ambassador of all things kawaii". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  38. ^ "Time After Time Capsule | Japanese American National Museum". www.janm.org. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  39. ^ Susan (2017-05-10). "Japan Day @ Central Park". JapanCulture•NYC. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  40. ^ "The Art of Fandom". Anchorage Museum. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  41. ^ "Time After Time Capsule". Cape Town Travel. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  42. ^ "【Conferencia y taller del Sr. Sebastian Masuda, Embajador de la Cultura Japonesa y Promotor de Cultura Kawaii】" (in Spanish). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  43. ^ ABCdoABC, Portal do. "Time after time capsule – a cápsula do tempo de Sebastian Masuda" (in Brazilian Portuguese). www.abcdoabc.com.br. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  44. ^ "THE ドラえもん展 KYOTO 2021" (in Japanese). THE ドラえもん展 KYOTO 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  45. ^ "増田セバスチャンによるナイトイベント「ぽっかりあいた穴の秘密：秘密のはなし」" (in Japanese). Reborn-Art Festival 2019. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  46. ^ "The Museum of PAC-MAN Art, tokyo│ The Official Site for PAC-MAN - Video Games & More" (in Japanese). The Museum of PAC-MAN Art, tokyo│ The Official Site for PAC-MAN - Video Games & More. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  47. ^ "「"自然と食の大冒険" FOOD ADVENTURE 」を2020年8月7日( 金 )より開催。 タイニーハウスの宿泊プランや、新作アート公開も同時スタート！" (in Japanese). KURKKU FIELDS（クルックフィールズ）– 人と農と食とアート -. 2020-08-21. Retrieved 2021-08-31.