PROFILE
Usugrow began his own artistic activity by creating flyers in underground punk and hard core music scene in early 90's. Since then, he has been involved in various album cover designs for bands and musicians regardless of genre, art directions and merchandises, and also collaborating with lots of skateboarding brands and fashion brands.
Usugrow expanded the range of his activity and done several solo exhibition at art galleries in Japan and overseas since 2005, and published his first monograph. In addition to his solo exhibition, he has been curating the group exhibition and book projects with Japanese artists since 2009.
He currently works on mainly illustration, painting and calligraphy as well as live painting, collaboration project with other artists and three-dimensional artwork.
90年代初頭、パンク、ハードコア等のアンダーグラウンドミュージックシーンで、フライヤー製作からアーティスト活動を始める。
現在はジャンルを超えたバンド、ミュージシャンのCD、レコードカヴァーデザイン、アートディレクション、マーチャンダイズを数多く手がける他、スケートボードブランド、ファッションブランド等のコラボレーションも多く手がける。
2005年から自身の活動をアートギャラリーにも広げ、国内外で個展を開催、2007年に初のソロアートブックを発売。
2009年からは自身の個展に加え、自らがキュレーションする、日本人アーティストを集めたグループ展、ブックプロジェクトを立ち上げ、国内外でグループ展を開催。
イラストレーション、ペインティング、カリグラフィ作品を中心に製作する他、ライヴペイント、他アーティストとのコラボレーション、立体作品の製作など活動の幅を広げている。
EXHIBITIONS
USUGROW Solo exhibitions
- 2017
"GARDEN" @STOLEN SPACE GALLERY, London, UK
- 2015
"USUGROW SOLO EXHIBITION" @WOOLLOOMOOLOO EXHIBIT, Taipei Taiwan
- 2015
"ORGANIC CONTRAST - Artworks of Usugrow" @DIESEL ART GALLERY, Tokyo Japan
- 2014
"INKFLOW" @FIFTY24SF, San Francisco US
- 2012
"INK MOON" @STOLEN SPACE GALLERY, London, UK
- 2010
"DAY OF INK" @FIFTY24MX, Mexico city Mexico
- 2010
"HASADHU IN THE NIGHT BEFORE A STORM" @STOLEN SPACE GALLERY, London, UK
- 2008
"BEHIND THE BLACK, BEHIND THE WHITE" @FIFTY24PDX Portland, US
- 2007
"LEARN A LIGHT BY DEFINING A SHADOW" @FIFTY24SF, San Francisco US
- 2006
"THE PREVIEW" @BROOKLYN PROJECTS, Los Angeles US
- 2005
"ORGANIC CONTRAST" @BK GALLERY, Sendai Japan
USUGROW Curated group exhibitions
- 2018
EXCEL Visual Archive @RVCA SHIBUYA, Tokyo Japan
- 2016
MOJITEN 1 @HHH GALLERY, Tokyo Japan
BIG SLEEPS, CRYPTIK, DEFER, MAYONAIZE, PITC, USUGROW
- 2015
"MONOCHROME" @HHH GALLERY, Tokyo Japan
Aaron Horkey, Mike Giant, Shohei, Kyotaro, Toshikazu Nozaka, Ozabu, Sadam, Usugrow
- 2012
"AZMA" @FIFTY24MX, Mexico city Mexico
Usugrow, Mozyskey, Syunoven, Shohei Otomo
- 2011
"SHINGANIST SHOWCASE 3" @THC, Tokyo Japan
Usugrow, Mozyskey, Toshikazu Nozaka, Syunoven, Jun Kaneko
- 2009
"SHINGANIST SHOWCASE 2" @STOLEN SPACE GALLERY, London UK
Usugrow, Mozyskey, Toshikazu Nozaka, Syunoven, Jun Kaneko
- 2009
"SHINGANIST SHOWCASE 1" @FIFTY24SF, San Francisco US
Usugrow, Mozyskey, Toshikazu Nozaka, Syunoven, Jun Kaneko
Selected Group exhibitions
- 2017
"PAFOS2017 Street Art Square Festival" Pafos Pyprus
Mural Festival
- 2017
“STAR WARS THE LAST JEDI ART SHOW TOKYO” @VACANT, Tokyo Japan
- 2017
VOLCOM x NOZAKA x USUGROW Art show Asia Tour 2017 Taipei, Shanghai
Exhibition and Live paint performance
- 2016
"POW!WOW! HAWAII" Honolulu Hawaii
Mural Festival
- 2015
"POW!WOW! TOKYO" @TENNOZ ISLE Bond st, Tokyo Japan
Mural Festival
- 2014
"A STUDY OF HAIR" @BACKWOODS GALLERY, Melbourne Australia
- 2013
"ORIENTAL ELEMENTS 2" @COMMON GALLERY, Tokyo, Japan
TOSHIKAZU NOZAKA x USUGROW
- 2013
"VII GROUP SHOW" @STOLENSPACE GALLERY, London UK
- 2012
"HOSOMICHI" @HOLON GALLERY, Sendai Japan
- 2012
"A STUDY OF HAND" @BACKWOODS GALLERY, Melbourne Australia
- 2012
"OBEY YOUR MASTER Art tribute to METALLICA" @EXHIBIT A GALLERY, Los Angels US
METTALICA Official Art exhibition
- 2011
"ORIENTAL ELEMENTS" @BACKWOODS GALLERY, Melbourne Australia
TOSHIKAZU NOZAKA x USUGROW
- 2010
"THE HUNDREADS x GARFIELD" @The Hundreds x Garfield Pop-Up Shop, Los Angeles US
- 2010
"NEVER JUDGE...?" @STOLEN SPACE GALLERY, London UK
A Group Exhibition In Association with Penguin Books
- 2010
"FACES&LACES 2010" Moscow Russia
- 2010
"LTRHDS Letterheads 2010" @1000 £ Bend, Melbourne Australia, @Red Bull Gallery, Sydney Australia
- 2009
"CELERITAS" @SURU, Los Angeles US
- 2008
"THE VADER PROJECT TOKYO" @Makuhari Messe, Tokyo Japan
- 2008
"SCION INSTALLATION ART TOUR 2008" US US
- 2007
"THE BEAST WITHIN" @SHOWROOM NYC, New York US
- 2007
"REFILL7 TOKYO" @TOWER RECORDS SHIBUYA, Tokyo Japan
- 2007
"CHAZ BOJORQUEZ Art show Osaka" @THREETIDES TATTOO, Osaka Japan
CHAZ BOJORQUEZ x USUGROW Live paint
- 2007
"MIKE GIANT x USUGROW" @WHITEWALLS SF GALLERY, San Francisco US
MIKE GIANT x USUGROW
- 2006
"REFILL SEVEN" @MTV Gallery, Sydney Australia
- 2002
"PUSHEAD Presents SKELETAL CARNIVAL 2" Tokyo, Osaka, Japan
- 1999
"PUSHEAD Presents SKELETAL CARNIVAL 1" Tokyo Japan
PROJECT
under construction
