Kaori Sakaguchi
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2025
→ "investable artist directory" by Art market experts
→ March "50 Artists to Discover 2025" Catalog by Florence Contemporary Gallery, Italy
→ Mar: “Artells Magazine” in US – Fine Art* (collaborative work with Hakata doll creator is also featured on the back cover)
→ Jan. Artist spotlight on Contemporary art curator magazine
2022&2024
→ featured group show at Italian TV Arte24
2023
Featured in *Biancoscuro Art Magazine, Italy
(April/May, June/July, August/September, October/November, December/January, and February/March 2024 issues)
2022
→ The Complete Artist's Compendium (Tokyo, Nishiyama Museum of Art)
→ The Best of Italian Art Catalog (Italy)
2021
→ Pop Art Exhibition Catalog (Canada)
→ Artnobel (digital Inspiration of Art Magazine) "10 Emerging Talents" special feature (Barcelona)
Others: global ranking at
→ https://artfacts.net/artist/kaori-sakaguchi/820788 -
Solo Exhibition
→ October 16 – November 5, 2024 4th Solo Exhibition: Daimaru Tenjin Store (JTL Art Gallery Space)
→ Summer, 2024** 3rd Solo Exhibition: AI Prompts and Me Art Bar Tsugi (Fukuoka)
→ Nov-Dec 2023 2nd Solo Exhibition: Connection Between Apparel & Gallery "ra" (Fukuoka)
→ November 2022 1st Solo Exhibition: ENTER Hafh Fukuoka THE LIFE (Fukuoka)
→ (Museum Collection) 2023: Telavi National History Museum, Georgia
Art Fair
2025
→ 2023–2025: World Art Dubai First Wish Art Gallery Stand
2024
→ Monaco Art Fair
→ Art Basel (art magazine only)
→ Art Innsbruck, Austria
→ Exhibited at the Biancoscuro Art Magazine booth
→ October 14–17: Florence Biennale (Digital, Italy)
→ June: Art Basel, Basel (Magazine presentation with Biancoscuro Art Magazine)
→ March: Vernice Art Fair (Italy)
→ February: Shenzhen Design Art Fair (Makowski Gallery, China/Germany)
Group show
2025
→ February: Abouty 30×2 exhibition (7artists) Fukuoka
→ Ginza Small Canvas Exhibition* Ginza Chuo Gallery, Tokyo2024
→ December: Big Screen Plaza
→ Art House NYC (New York)
→ December 14–15: Daimaru Tenjin Store Popup
→ October: The Creators (Hosted by RKB) Fukuoka
→ June: Matera International Biennale
→ April: Art Meets Arts at Daimaru Department Store in Fukuoka (Organized by Air Plants Ltd., 6 artists)
2023
2023-ongoing
→ participating in 30 country Mission world tour (Mumbai, Dubai, Georgia, Malaysia, Spain, Armenia, Jordan, Turkey, Tokyo, Rome, etc.)
by First Wish Art gallery(Georgia)”→ December 9–10: Soulverse Miami Exhibition (with attendees including Meta)
→ July–August: Popup Gallery Season 2 at Markis Fukuoka Momochi by Air Plants Ltd.
→ March: Cambodia Exhibition (Siem Reap) by AAA gallery
→ Wuhan High-End Shopping Mall Popup by Makowski Gallery (Germany)
2022
→ Dynamic Contemporary Artists Exhibition Fukuoka Asia Museum
→ Utrillo and Contemporary Artists Hareza Tokyo
→ March: Digital Art Show M.A.D.S. Art Gallery, Milan
→ February & April: Exhibitions by art critics Rome (Gallery La Pigna)
→ February: Peddy Pot Thailand Exhibition Bangkok
→ February: National Selected Artists Exhibition At Ueno Royal Art Museum (Tokyo)
2020–2021
→ Corona vs. Amabie Exhibition Kansai Touring Exhibition, Japan 2019
→ Swiss Art Expo (Digital Exhibition, 2019–2022) Geneve,Switzerland
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2024
→ JTL Art Award by JTL Art Gallery, (Fukuoka)
→ 3rd Place, Matera International Biennale (Matera, Italy)
2023
→ Artist Merit Prize by Biancoscuro Art Magazine's contest (Italy)
2021
→ Hermes High Award Accademia Italia Arte Nel Mondo Association (Italy)
→ Grand Prize, "Art Exhibition with Critique" Nara City Museum of Art, Japan
2019
→ Luxembourg Art Prize
Certificate of Artistic Merit -
Instagram :
→ https://www.instagram.com/iroka_studioFb :
→ iroka gallerywebsite: IROKA studio site｜note
→ https://note.com/irokastudio_art
Biography
Kaori SAKAGUCHI is an artist based in Fukuoka(Japan) who works both domestically and internationally. Her artistic sensibility was naturally nurtured during her childhood as she experienced her father’s hobbies, such as pottery, oil painting, and photography. However, at the time, she was more passionate about music, languages, and different cultures, so she majored in English literature and linguistics at university.
During a short-term language study in Paris and London, she followed C.Monet's works and discovered B.Buffet’s art, both of which had a profound impact on her.
She was especially captivated by the innovative play of light and color in Monet’s pieces, such as “Water Lilies” and “Impression, Sunrise,” and also deeply attracted to Buffet’s “sharp yet refined melancholy” style. Looking back, these experiences laid the foundation for her later artistic style.
In 2018, she volunteered at a henna tattoo booth during the cultural exchange event “Namaste Fukuoka.” Through this activity, she discovered her passion for art. Kaori reflects, “You never know where a new path in life might be waiting.”
Her art career took off more formally during Corona pandemic. She developed a unique style characterized by simple yet bold line drawings reminiscent of Ukiyo-e, vibrant colors and polka dot, and elements that trigger the sense of "kawaii." Her works also stand out for their sophisticated use of color and innovative compositions.
Major Works
“Aoi, a Girl in Blue Beret”**: A portrait of a girl wearing a blue beret.
“Anone-chan” Series**: A series featuring charmingly disarming girls who subtly voice societal critiques.
“Adolescence 2.0”*: Expresses the complex emotions and experiences of her son’s adolescence.
“Hawa’s Rond”**: Inspired by the elegance of Indian architecture and Degas’ ballerinas.
“A Stretching Cat Oliver”**: Based on cherished memories with her cat, exploring emotional connections between humans and animals.
“Each Enthronement”**: Personifies flowers, celebrating individuality.
“Tulip”**: A surrealistic depiction reversing the scales between urban landscapes and flowers.
“The India Uncle” Series*
In 2024, she unveiled a series exploring collaborations between AI and humans, as well as 3D Hakata doll's artwork that fuse tradition and modernity in collaboration with Hakata doll Artisan, SIGE. The Hakata doll work gained attention when it was featured on the back cover of a special art issue of an international fashion magazine in March 2025.
Additionally, in 2022, she was appointed to a brand ambassador for the “First Wish Art Gallery” based in Georgia, supporting the exhibition of Japanese artists overseas. She also embarked on her “Mission World Tour,” presenting her works across 30 countries and 30 venues.
Her artworks not only exhibit visual "kawaii" and beauty but also sharply capture emotional moments and social themes. Kaori believes that without the rise of social media and the internet, her art would not have reached globally such an audience. Her message of respecting individuality and fostering international understanding resonates with many viewers, fueling anticipation for her future endeavors.
Artist Statement
Raised in an artistic environment influenced by her father’s hobbies, she discovered her passion for painting in 2019.
Triggering “kawaii” as a gateway, she expresses fleeting emotions and societal phenomena through bold compositions reminiscent of ukiyo-e, characterized by simple yet emotional brush pen lines familiar to Japanese culture.
By studying the effects of color and polka dot, she creates vibrant palettes that define her unique style.
Much like the ukiyo-e of the past, she evolves by traversing across cultures both domestically and internationally, drawing inspiration from diverse influences. Her works aim to inspire viewers, bring harmony, and contribute to fostering a balanced society.
Her art incorporates a wide variety of motifs and styles, vividly reflecting her individuality and philosophy while radiating a distinct charm. Her skills and creative ideas bring a cohesive unity to her pieces, highlighting a strong, recognizable identity that is unmistakably her own.
