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Akiko Ban is a Japanese interdisciplinary artist based in London. She makes sculptures and drawings that explore to establish a primal, naturalistic and spiritual vista of the inner world of her creation.

Her artistic practice seeks to give lives to materials, generating individual bodies which she believes have their own existence. These ritual objects and environments were inspired by contemporary and ancient culture, music, fashion and her own daily experiences. She presents art work as a means of expressing her personal mythology which embodies the essence of the world she lives in.

By employing fluid materials such as water, ink, plaster and fabric, Ban intends to spark a moment emerging through the interactions between material, time, environment and herself. Each piece is a unique and improvised rapidly and responsively. She calls this process manifestation of entity, it takes place when her unconsciousness is in tune with the integrated materials. Prior to her creation, she carefully studies the materials logically and intuitively until they start to form a part of her entity, which later allows her to work spontaneously. Her background as a trained Japanese calligrapher helps her access the state of unconsciousness yet sensory acute state during which the work brings the generation process.

Akiko Ban was born in 1975 in Tokyo, Japan. In 2002 she moved to London and studied BA in Drawing at Camberwell College of Arts (2003-2006) and MFA in Sculpture at the Slade School of Fine Art (2006-2008).

Her practice is cross-disciplinary, and collaborated with choreographer, dancers, musician, fashion brand, designers and other artists. She has recently launched her on-going project, MYSTIC FORMS, a hand crafted jewellery collection, with a graphic and digital media designer Taiyo Nagano in 2015, exploring the relationship between art and body to endeavour the idea of Wearable Art. She also worked as a visiting tutor at Camberwell College of Arts (2016-2017)

Ban’s previous solo exhibitions include Innervisions, Sway Gallery London (2019), Revelry in Paradise 楽園の宴, Matsudo, Japan (2014), Mystic Parade 百鬼夜行, matohu, Tokyo, Japan (2013), Alive, Bicha Gallery, London (2012). Group shows include Dance Continuum, The Playground, Rambert Dance (2020), A History of Drawing, Camberwell College of Arts (2018), Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts (2016), SIXTY, LUBOMIROV/ANGUS-HUGHES, Athens, Greece (2016), I Never Lied To You, Camberwell College of Arts (2015).

Projects include MYSTIC FORMS, Hand crafted Jewellery collection (2015-current), The Playground, Rambert Dance, London (2018-current), Create your own YOKAI spirit, Watercolor painting workshop for children, Nagareyama, Japan (2015-2018), Fashion product design for Japanese animation Evangelion (2015), Cover design drawing for Power To The People “World Peace EP” presented by Basement Jaxx (2014), In Conversation with Akiko Ban Revelry in Paradise, Artist talk, Ace & Lion, London (2014), Paradise AIR, Artist in Residence, Matsudo, Japan (2014), Hat and Accessories Design for matohu 2013-14AW collection “AWAI” (2013).

 


CV

Born in Tokyo, Japan 1975
Lives and works in London, UK

Education
2006 – 2008 MFA in Fine Art (Sculpture), Slade School of Fine Art, London
2003 – 2006 BA (Hons) Drawing, Camberwell College of Arts, London
2002 – 2003 Foundation, Camberwell College of Arts, London
1994 – 1998 BA in English Literature, Meijigakuin University, Tokyo

Solo Exhibition
2019 Innervisions, Sway Gallery, London
2013 Mystic Parade – 百鬼夜行, Matohu, Tokyo
2012 Alive, Bicha Gallery, London
2003 Ichiza, The Family Business, London

Group Exhibition
2021 The Autumn Exhibition, Global Virtual Exhibition at The Curator’s Salon, London
2020 Dance Continuum, An online virtual exhibition at The Playground, Rambert Dance, London
2018 A History of Drawing, Camberwell College of Arts
2016 RA Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts
2016 SIXTY, LUBOMIROV/ANGUS-HUGHES, Athens, Greece
2015 I Never Lied To You, Camberwell Space Projects, Camberwell College of Arts, London
2014 6th Passion for Freedom London Art Festival, Embassy Tea Gallery, London
2014 AAF Singapore
2014 A5, LUBOMIROV-EASTON, Athens, Greece
2014 AAF Battersea, London
2014 AAF Hong Kong
2013 AAF New York
2012 AAF Stockholm
2010 Humanimals, Gallery Magdalena, London
2010 Traverse Tourist, Tenderpixel Gallery, London
2010 Get on. Get in. Get out, Holster Projects, London
2009 Interplay, Nolias gallery at the Thomas aBecket, London
2009 Natural Recurrence Akiko Ban and Yun-Kyung Jeong, Nolias gallery, London
2009 Vol.9, The Sassoon Gallery, London
2008 Degree Show, Slade School of Fine Art
2007 Interim Show, Slade Research Centre, London
2007 Japanese Artists and the Slade: Past, Present and Future, Slade Research Centre, London
2007 Experience the image – an investigation of sculptural practices in photography, Nolia’s gallery at the Thomas aBecket, London
2006 Degree Show, Camberwell College of Arts, London
2005 Drawn Back To This, BA Drawing show, Camberwell College of Arts, London

Awards
2014 6th Passion for Freedom London Art Festival shortlisted
2007 Slade Project Award
2007 Wigan Public Art Competition shortlisted

Projects
2018-current The Playground, Rambert Dance
2015-current MYSTIC FORMS, Hand crafted Jewellery
2015-2018 Create your own YOKAI spirit, Watercolor painting workshop for children, Nagareyama, Japan
2017 matohu x MYSTIC FORMS Collaboration SS2018 “KAZARI” (Jewellery design for the Japanese fashion brand)
2015 Fashion product Design for Radio Eva
2015 #TransActing: A Market of Values, Rootstein Hopkins Parade Ground, London
2014 Cover design drawing for Power To The People “World Peace EP” presented by Basement Jaxx
2014 In Conversation with Akiko Ban Revelry in Paradise, Ace&Lion, London
2014 Revelry in Paradise, Matsudo, Japan
2013 Hat and Accessories Design for matohu 2013-14 AW collection “AWAI”
2009-2010 Yamabushiyama Hotel Project, Kyoto, Japan
2009 zero – the aroma of technology the flavour of art to savour being inter-active and immersive installation, Gakushuin Women’s College, Tokyo, Japan
2009 garden at goldsmiths, Goldsmiths University of London

Residency
2014 Paradise AIR, Matsudo, Japan

Lectures, Seminars & Research
2016-2017 Visiting Tutor, Camberwell College of Arts, London
2012 Visiting Lecturer/Artist Speaker, Camberwell College of Arts, London
2009-2010 ‘8’ Project, Goldsmiths, University of London – Research fellow
2009 Interplay, Nolias gallery at the Thomas aBecket, London – Curator and Organizer

Work Experience
2016-2017 Art+798 International Art Education Centre, Beijing – Online Teaching Artist
2009 Kader Attia ‘Ghost’ Project, The Saatchi Gallery, London – Project assistant
2007 Demons&Angels, Kids Company, Shoreditch Town Hall, London – Exhibition assistant
2007 REFLECTIONS – Contemporary Japanese Paintings and Prints by Shinichi Nakazawa
Daiwa Foundation Japan House, London – Exhibition assistant
2004 INSIDE OUT works by morino, Daiwa Foundation Japan House, London – Exhibition assistant

Skills and interests
Qualified master of Japanese calligraphy

Certificate
SW38: Pyramids of Giza: Ancient Egyptian Art and Archaeology, Harvard University Online Course

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