Directed Films
Textile Pattern
Animation Direction / Art Direction / Design
Atarashii Gakko!
AI-generated Roleplaying Experience
Microsoft / Azure OpenAI Service / 88rising
Character and background Pixel Art Director: Kunagisa
Monster Pixel Art Director: Ginoya
BANANA to YELLOW x Fantasista Utamaro Limited Collection 2024
"YOU ARE THE BEST"
https://banana-to-yellow.jp/collectio...
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Credit:
Collaboration Artist: Fantasista Utamaro
Brand Director: Tadamasa Minami
Executive Producer: Masayoshi Zenigame
Production Manager: Ai Hachinohe
Film Credit:
Director: Fantasista Utamaro
Director of Photography: Masahiro Takai
Composer: Shin Sakaino Feat. HanaNYC
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Concept:
The Fanciest cheesy souvenir made in Kyoto
During Japan's high economic growth, tourist spots were lined with free and diverse souvenir shops. Fantasista Utamaro defined the worldview of the miscellaneous and cheap souvenirs of that time as a worldview filled with a freedom spirit and creativity that is not bound by anything. The idea for this project was born from creating a masterpiece (made in Kyoto) in the context of souvenirs in modern Japan!
The design motifs of the folding fans are "CEO," "VIP," and "OMG." "CEO" is the CEO who is the literary boss of a company. "VIP" is the person who is a celebrity person, and "OMG" is "Oh my god!"
For the inside, we designed the words "YOU ARE THE BEST" as a positive message that praises you every time you use it, with the desire to celebrate super the tourists who visit Kyoto, the history of Kyo folding fans that continues for over 1200 years, and the people who have supported this culture up to the present day.
The artwork born from this idea of Utamaro is handcrafted one by one by artisans who have inherited the traditional culture of Kyoto folding fans, creating folding fans in which tradition and innovation coexist. In addition to the three types of regular folding fans, we will sell a limited edition with a black Japan lacquer finish on the ribs.
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Artist Comment:
Ten years have passed since I moved to New York to deliver Japanese culture to the world in higher resolution through my creations. Although I faced countless hardships in the away land of New York, I have been working hard on my creative activities, supported by the spirit of symbiosis (helping each other) inherent in Japanese culture.
Encouraging myself as a Japanese artist (self-proclaimed) competing on the world stage, I began to want to cherish the long-standing Japanese culture even more. I thought about contributing to developing traditional Japanese culture in my daily work. In the midst of all this, President Minami of Miyawaki Baisenan approached me about a collaboration between BANANA to YELLOW.
Then, I learned that folding fans originated in Japan and were introduced to the world. Nowadays, they are defined as a tool to beat the heat, but I was moved to learn that folding fans originally existed as a "space between people" and "letters." I wanted to know if the roots of the emojis that we use every day on our smartphones were in Kyoto folding fans! In the past, folding fans existed as a flexible communication tool.
I was deeply moved to learn that this flexible manner, which can be said to be the "hospitality" that the Japanese have long cultivated, was born in this world in the form of folding fans 1,200 years ago and has been passed down to the world.
I felt a sense of mission to somehow convey this beautiful culture and context to the modern world, and I created an artwork to dedicate my life to it. Through this project, I would like to convey the philosophy of this long-standing culture to the world along with the folding fans.
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Store / BANANA to YELLOW
https://banana-to-yellow.jp/
Miyawaki Baisenan
http://www.baisenan.co.jp/
Fantasista Utamaro
https://www.fantasistautamaro.com/
Masahiro Takai / Director of Photography
https://www.masahirotakai.com/
Shin Sakaino / Composer
https://shinsakaino.wixsite.com/my-site
My Sanctuary
Tokyosai Feb 1st-4th
1 Rue de l'Ancien Canal, 93500 Pantin, France
This interactive art was created for the Japanese art festival "Tokyosaï" held in Paris in February 2024. It is an interactive art installation designed to be created alongside guests visiting "Tokyosaï." We defined the space of manga cafes, symbolic of Japanese culture, as "My Sanctuary," the most pure and joyful place. The artwork involves filling the space of white bookshelves with stickers resembling manga spines, with visitors participating in the process.
The titles on the manga spines represent the life of Fantasista Utamaro. I grew up in a complex family environment, far from ordinary, and harbored a deep dislike for my birth. Until two years ago, I managed to sustain my existence by prioritizing contributions to the world. However, despite societal recognition, I couldn't find happiness as there was a profound lack of self-love in my creations.
Two years ago, my wife and I were blessed with a child. Witnessing my child's growth with boundless positivity, I realized the folly of living without self-love. I began to reflect on my life and make efforts to love myself. About a year ago, the emotion of "wanting to live" emerged within me. A profound and gentle feeling blossomed within me. I learned that loving myself means loving the world and recognized that my life is just a small point in the long history of the world. This artwork symbolizes the beginning of my new life.
Architect by Constant Benfradj Esmelin
Photography by Soma Hirata
GU Soho New York X Fantasista Utamaro
Exclusive Collaboration / Store Pop Up Interactive Art Exhibition
Photography:
Nobuyuki Narita / Masahiro Takai
This collaboration between GU, which aims to be a global fashion brand originating in Japan, and Fantasista Utamaro, who presents Japanese culture to the world through his art and unique worldview, arose from mutual appreciation of each other's concepts, and a shared approach of taking on global challenges. The theme of "What Sets You Free?" is a fusion of the "freedom" that is the origin of GU's brand name, and "freedom" from the creative slogan embraced by Fantasista Utamaro.
Art Direction & Design
Production: Nexus Studios
Director: Factory Fifteen
VFX: The mill
DOP: Tony C. Miller / Christopher M. Nicholls
Composer: Kenji Kawai / Hatsune Miku
Sound Design: Factory
More Info
The art event for Syrian refugees in UN head quarters.
Collaborated with MIYAVI who is Japanese guitarist.
Photography By Tokio Kuniyoshi, Pratya Jankong
More photos are HERE...
TYPE II Gaming Headphone
Fantasista Utamaro Limiited Edition “Kamikaze“
Package Design: Mason Kodera
Postmates / This Is Your Brain on Food
Animation Director: Fantasista Utamaro
Composite / VFX Animation Director: Takashi Ohashi
Animator: Kye
Creative Director: Harry Butt
Production: Nexus Design Studios
Agency: Mother
Direction / Animation: Fantasista Utamaro
Composite Director: Takashi Ohashi
Artwork
Sound by Shin Sakaino
UR by mason kodera
YUZU ARENA TOUR 2022 / PEOPLE, SEES
Art Direction, Animation Direction and Design
For Yuzu 25th Anniversary Arena Tour / PEOPLE & SEES
Artwork:
Tomokazu Matsuyama
©2022,2023 Matsuyama Studio All Rights Reserved.
Creative Director / Art Director / Animation Directors:
Fantasista Utamaro
Package Design:
mason kodera
Animation Directors:
TANGE FILMS / SIGNIF / Shota Sakamoto / Hideo Ihara
Designers / Animators:
Kana Karikomi / Tetsuya Tatamitani
Animation Producer:
Yuichi Chikamatsu(SHAS Inc.)
Art Direction And Design
For Yuzu 25th Anniversary
Artwork:
Tomokazu Matsuyama
©2022,2023 Matsuyama Studio All Rights Reserved.
Animation Directors:
Fantasista Utamaro
TANGE FILMS
SIGNIF
Shota Sakamoto
Hideo Ihara
Designers / Animators:
Kana Karikomi
Mason Kodera
Tetsuya Tatamitani
Animation Producer:
Yuichi Chikamatsu(SHAS Inc.)
Artwork By Fantasista Utamaro
/
Executive Producer:
Yoshito Hori
Producer:
Hideto Yazawa / Dragon
ART Producer:
Hiroya Isozaki
ART Creative Director:
Shinnosuke Miura
ART PRODUCTION Director:
Yoshitaka Numata
/
Lucky Art Production Crew:
Jun / Taka Popy / Rasta / Hito-P
Cruel Shark With Rainbow Whale ART Production:
Junya Okabe / Yuya Takahashi Hideki Ishii (Blast Inc.)
Cruel Shark With Rainbow Whale ART 3D Model Design:
Mason Kodera (AGEPOYO INC.)
Egg Wrapping Production:
Kiriu / Kunitaro / Yu / Shin Yamazaki (Asai Marking System)
Shooting Producer:
Hayato Arakawa
Cinematographer:
Tatsuya Nishikawa / Tomonori Hinishi
Photographer:
Yumehei Takasu
Film Editor:
Nanako Kawasaki
Special Thanks:
ARTS ISOZAKI / Yasushi Umino / Kana Karikomi / Suzuki Sign
TOYO INK / FLARETENT / KANOYA project Yasunori Tamura
Marina / HANA Takashi Kun / S-TARO / GACCHI / Saki / Fukapuu
Natsumi / Daisuke Moriya Masato Numata / Kazutaka Kobayashi
Kiyoka / Kataoka / shouki Yatabe / Moena Aoyama
Hiromu Sugamata / Daiki Nagai / NAKED-GENTA / SHO_K / everce
yamamichi AND ALL LUCKY PPL...
Director: Fantasista Utamaro
Character Design / Key Animator: Shu Yonezawa
Character Animator: Gko / Fumiyuki Uehara / Hano
Effect Animator: Fantasista Utamaro / Tetsuya Tatamitani
3D VFX Designer: Shibashin
Typography Design: Tadahiro Gunji
Digital Effect Director: Hiroyuki Hori / Ryosuke Sone
Digital Effect Programming / Design: Eiki Kurokawa / Yuma Taesu / Tokisato Miztsuru / Hiroyuki Hori
Animation Producer: Yuichi Chika
Producer: Lizzie Small
Production Company: Nexus Studios
Label: Relentless Records
Commissioner: Lea Ogunlami
Marketing Director: Sabrina Kristiansen
Limited Edition For Schweppes
NETFLIX ANIME 2021
Key Art / Film Direction
Creative Direction: Concept Conception* Inc.
Production: Quark Tokyo (STROBOWRITES)
Creative / Art Direction
Creative / Art Direction
Creative / Art Direction And Design
Photography: Hayato Takahashi
Hair: Sakie Miura
Makeup: Takeru Urushibara
Styling: Remi Kawasaki
Model: Raimu Taya
Retouch: VITA
Creative / Art Direction
Creative / Art Direction
Artwork By Yoshitaka Amano
Collaborated With
Nagoya Takashimaya / Takashimaya Gate Tower Mall
3rd Anniversary.
Collaborated With Kasoku Sato
From Good Smile Company
© 2019 Fantasista Utamaro.
© Kasoku Sato (Composition Inc.)
© Crypton Future Media, INC. www.piapro.net
© 2020 GOOD SMILE COMPANY,INC All Right Reserved.
YUZU / YUZU TOWN
Art Direction And Design
Artwork: eBoy ©eBoy
Graphic Design: Mason Kodera
Photography: Yoshiharu Ota
Styling: Kazuki Yunoki
Hair & Makeup: Asuka Fujio
Artwork for Limited Edition
Self-Portrait Series
36" x 36" / Acrylic, Epoxy Resin On Plywood Panel / 2019
Collaboration With
ADIDAS x All Blacks / RWC
Pattern Artwork For Ladybaby
Collaboration With Hatsune Miku / MIKU EXPO 2109
Creative Direction / Art Direction / Music Video Direction
Music Video Crew Are:
DIRECTOR: FANTASISTA UTAMARO
CHARACTER ANIMATION DIRECTOR: KASOKU SATO
COMPOSITE / MOTION GRAPHIC DIRECTOR: KOJI ARAMAKI (SIGNIF)
CHIEF PRODUCTION MANAGER: NAOJIRO YASUI [ORO-NINE]
CHARACTER 3DCG MODEL [KASOKU-SHIKI MIKU] DESIGNER: KASOKU SATO
MERCHANDISE COLLABORATOR: R4G [BAROQUE JAPAN LIMITED]
© 2019 CFM © 2019 Fantasista Utamaro © 2019 Kasoku Sato / Composition Inc.
Dempa Gumi Inc. / Graduate Gig @nemuqn
At Budoukan, Tokyo January 6th-7th
Logos / Pattern Artwork / Stage Design
Art Direction & Design: Fantasista Utamaro
Design Assistant: Mason Kodera
Thanks!! @dempagumi.official
Sweet Sorrow By http://www.wingshya.com/Wing Shya
Photography By Wing Shya
Styling By Kanako B Koga
Artwork By Fantasista Utamaro
Cosplay J-POP Party in Brooklyn, NY
Hosted With
Ai Furukawa, Hideto Tachibana, Hayato Takahashi and Keisuke Tsujimoto
Legendary Japanese Pop Characters / Fukuwarai Series
Oto No Kuni
Art Direction
Portrait / Music Video
Title Back Animation For TV Drama
Animation Director: Satoru Ohno
Logo Designer: Shoji Uchiyama
Collaboration with KIKI LALA / Little Twin Stars from Sanrio.
http://www.thedrum.com/creative-works/project/tbwa-animegaphone
With TBWA HAKUHODO and YUKAI Engineering
“Utamaro” in Fantasista Utamaro is inspired by legendary Edo period painter, Utamaro Kitagawa. Fantasista Utamaro’s latest artwork, R4U (Respect for Utamaro) is an homage to Utamaro Kitagawa with respect and celebration. He re-rendered his Ukiyoe, with eyes, cane, and arms from Anime characters, emoji from the Internet generation and good luck cats in Yose-e (literally, an assembled picture) style.
Ukiyoe from Edo Period, Japan was a device used to record documents for visual transmission but it’s also culturally important in Japanese art history. Utamaro believes in current pop culture surrounded by Anime, which will be great factors when people talk about Japanese cultures in the future and use them to make this artwork.
In this artwork, anime characters’ arms and magic cane are symbols of bravery as a key of saving the world and emoji’s good luck cats are mascots to bring good luck. With only positive elements, it expresses respect for great Japanese culture and it is a celebration for culture of Japan-specific development like spontaneous combustion.
For celebration of traditional technique and editon, lithograph is made by Atelier Idem Paris, well known for using French traditional printing technique. Keizaburo Matsuzaki was in charge of printing in Tokyo, Japan and Senrei Sekioka was in charge of woodcarving.
Fantasista Utamaro is color-blind, and thus unable to discern colors. The COLORBLIND SERIES consists of works that he cannot see
or recognize. As members of society, we usually belong to a country as citizens, frequently encountering various problems
stemming from society and rules that must be upheld. To avoid such things, people often cover them up, ee from them, or
fabricate lies. At times, they witness things not meant for their eyes and grieve together. Such occurrences are common.
Depending on their denition of order, people continuously shift their eorts through the years, in turn narrating what they
consider to be justice. From here, distortions are created, leading to collisions. Upon their realization, they’ve attacked others and
created problems from nothing. Fantasista Utamaro may be unable to distinguish colors, but he has obtained a sense of freedom
that isn’t bound by color. Whether something can be seen or not will change depending on the person’s consciousness. In other
words, two sides of the same thing in fact begin to resemble one another. We cannot refuse to live among the rules dictated by
countries and societies. But at the same time, we need not be forced to abide by their constructs. Each person will believe things in
their own way. This is all true, and moreover, this is all reality.
Artwork For Stella McCartney
Artwork For Maybelline x MADE LA
Based on Utamaro’ s big concepts, he made his new series, pirate skull. Its meaning is to challenge freedom.
Fantasists Utamaro makes festivals to release people’ s freedom, which they should feel, in the society, remitted world. This
liberation, the motif of pirate flag, is made by strong messages from Fantasista Utamaro that people should feel freedom which
exists everywhere in everybody’ s history and circumstance.
There is one culture that affect pretty much all Japanese born cultures called [Yankee Calture] grown in 70`s to 80`s and remain still. If you grow up in Japan, you can feel and see the affect of Yankee Culture in pretty much all Japan made culture . To show the respect Yankee culture, Utamaro focus on one character from comic [ Bukkomi no Taku]. he rides this bike to attend high school in comic book.
size:2500mm x 1900mm
Motorcycle, Inkjet, Acrylic, Sticker, Glitter, Urethaneresin 2015
Photography by Tsutomu Ono
NIKKAPOKKA Design by Tsuyoshi Takahashi
Model : Junko Motoyama, Alice Mukaide
Contemporary Dance Show
At Carnegie Hall
From
Takeshi Ohashi, Tomoe Sasano
Kae Kurachi, Hikaru Hada
Collaborated With Snoopy in Universal Studio Japan.
Art Direction, Design & Artwork
Collaborated With Hinotori (©Tezuka Production)
"HELLO MY NAME IS"
Art Show in Shanghai Sponsored by HONDA
Animation Director
Publishing / Art Direction & Design
Art Direction & Design With mashcomix
Artwork For BMW MINI
Collaboration With GAP
Artwork For Netflix
Collaboration With JIM BEAM
Dempagumi Inc.
Fantasista Utamaro
Mikio Sakabe
Toshiyuki Sugai
Mofuku Chan
Kurodo Seta
Art Direction & Design
Art Direction & Design
Textile Project With WALL Tokyo
Key Visual Artwork
Art Direction & Desgin
Pop Culture Art Project
Art Direction & Deisgn With Meichantoissho
Art Direction & Design
Artwork by HIZGI
Collaboration With Toyo Ink
Art Show With TAKCOM
Collaboration With Samantha Thavasa
Collaboration with 3M
Interactive Sculpture Artwork
WHAT IS LUCKY / LUCK = CAPITAL
at LUCKY FEST 2022 / Statue / 1/20 Scale
Edition 3