Kenzo Minami

Artist:

Kenzo Minami

About the print:

Unsigned
Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemuhle 210gsm 50% rag watercolor paper
13″x19″ paper size
Hand-numbered edition of 250
Embossed by Heliotrope Foundation 

Bio of the Artist:

Originally from Hyogo, Japan, Kenzo graduated from Parsons School of Design with a BFA in Product Design after majored Western Philosophy in Japan. Before he established himself as an artist / designer, he started out his career as a set designer for TV broadcast including MTV and Sci-Fi Channel which lead to shoot his own shorts and TV spots, and worked in broadcast as an art director, director, and motion graphic designer for 7 years, with clients ranging from Coca-Cola to Wu-Tang Clan. He also has done multiple projects as interface designer with members of M.I.T. media lab for multimedia art projects. 

As a designer and an artist, He was featured in multiple publication includes The New York Times Magazine, V Magazine, Men's Vogue, Dazed and Confused, W Magazine, Surface Magazine, Flaunt Magazine, Blackbook, Soma, Relax Magazine, Blag magazine, Lodown, XLR8R, WAD Magazine, Gas, Popeye Magazine, +81, MdN, i-D, Kelvin Colour Today (Gestalten), This Gun Is for Hire: From Personal to Corporate Design Projects (Gestalten), Hidden Track (Gestalten), Introducing (Gestalten), Visual Storytelling - Inspiring a New Visual Language (Gestalten), Fashionize : The Art of Fashion Illustration (Delicatessen), Fashion Illustration Next (Thames and Hudson), IdN magazine, Monitor, Form, Pour le Victoire, Heavy Change, and Flip the Script, among many others. He also has written multiple reviews, articles, and prefaces for publications. 

His work and design was also commission by Mercedes-Benz, Microsoft, Dell, Raf Simons, MTV, Fuse, VH1, Sharp, Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Converse, Eastpak, Smart Car, Hankyu, Kose, Marui, Wired, Kidrobot, Ace Hotel, Grand Hotels NYC, Sennheiser, among others. 

He was the first Artist commissioned to do mural painting for Nike's first art project space in NYC as well as another show they had at Chelsea Art Museum (both in 2003). He also contributed for the shows at Visionaire Gallery and Phillips de Pury & Company for W magazine as well as Scope Art Fair for Jaguar and W magazine (both in 2004). 

He had his first solo exhibit “CODEX 408” which included his mural painting, prints, and video work as first of 2 shows at The Aquos Project in Soho NYC.

He was featured in “I AM WHAT I AM” ad campaign by Reebok among Jay-Z, 50 cent, Lucy Liu, Christina Ricci, Allen Iverson, Yao Ming, Basquiat, and others in 2005 / 2006. He was one of the selected few artists for its “Artist Series” and his campaign was run together with Basquiat.

He also released his own model of Reebok Pump Fury, limited of 500 pairs worldwide, released also together with Basquiat model in Fall of 2005.

He also had a interview segment with ABC World News with Charles Gibson, under the title “Not Your Average Artist”.

His design KENZO MINAMI DUNNY (2006), collaboration with Kidrobot, is a part of MoMA Architecture and Design permanent collection.

In 2006, He was nominated as one of the Luminaries by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, among Vincent Gallo, Ghostface Killa (of Wu-Tang Clan), and others.

He was one of 4 artists chosen for the show FAMOUS CARS + FAMOUS PEOPLE, along with Andy Warhol, Robert Longo and David Hockney, hosted by Chloë Sevigny in 2007. The show was by Mercedes-Benz and to celebrate notable people from the past through the present day. He was chosen to represent the present day. The show was also to reveal 17 Warhol pieces that hasn’t seen in public for over 20 years.

Also in 2007, he was chosen as one of 35 people for “Johnnie Walker Blue Label Celebrates 35 Under 35” which was designed to celebrate the brightest young minds across a broad cross-section of disciplines including artists, writers, music executives, comedians and designers. Among those being honored are award-winning photographers and filmmakers, record label executives, fashion designers, leaders in the non-profit world, the star of a hit MTV show, technology gurus and authors-those leading the way, working to make a difference and setting the standard in their industries.

In 2009, he had a solo show "REMAKES" at The Gallery at Soho Grand Hotel, presented by Grandlife and Print Magazine.

Also in 2009, he was part of the show PAPERBALL, a fundraiser celebrating one year anniversary of Museum of Arts and Design (MAD), along with artists including Issey Miyake, threeASFOUR, Surface to Air, and Craig McDean among others. And in 2010, he again participated for their second year fundraiser METALBALL, along with artists including Rick Owens among others. He also participate for FLOURESCENT BALL in 2011.

In 2010, he contributed for the show Ecstasy Benefit Auction at Exit Art with artists including Louise Bourgeois, Nan Goldin, Yoko Ono, Bill Viola, Swoon, among others, with special guest host Michael Douglas.

Also in 2010, he released a special limited edition track racing bicycle "DIGITIZER" collaborating with Affinity Cycles, presented at Wired Magazine pop-up shop for the first time. 

In 2011, with Ace Hotel, he released "KENZO MINAMI x ACE HOTEL" Japan Relief T shirt after The Tohoku Earthquake (Great East Japan Earthquake).

In 2011, he was featured in Japanese documentary TV show "Dream UP!" on TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System).

Also in 2011, he had a solo show "WE ARE NOCTURNAL" in New York, releasing series of silkscreen prints, posters, and newsprints. 

In 2012, he released a mural and a print titled "VANISHING POINT" in downtown New York.

Also in 2012, collaborating with EASTPAK, he released his models of backpack and travel trolly luggage.

In 2012, He had a lecture "SUPER PEDANTRY" to the media, regarding his works and career, at Microsoft Japan headquarters in Tokyo.

In 2013, he had a show "13" at Nepenthes New York. He released a series of prints as well as collaboration T Shirt with Engineered Garments. 

He had his own garment project line from Spring 2004 till 2011. 

Kenzo lives and works in New York City.


www.kenzominami.com