Atsushi Kaga

Behind the playful and surreal façade of Atsushi Kaga’s misleadingly simple and faux-crude works lurks much darker territory wherein the artist confronts serious issues (through the eyes of a self-proclaimed ‘Otaku’) of cultural politics, paranoia, the complex search for personal identity and the daily philosophical crises of facing the harsh realities of the world. Influenced by the Japanese story-telling cultures of Manga and Anime, his razor-sharp humor and extraordinary imagination takes the viewer, willingly, on a journey of exploration through a complex and often brutal, but very funny, alternate world. Originally from Tokyo, Atsushi Kaga studied Fine Art at the National College of Art & Design, Dublin, graduating in 2005. Kaga now lives and works in Ireland. Forthcoming projects include a solo presentation with mother’s tankstation at FIAC, Paris and an exhibition at Kantor Art, LA. Kaga has recently had his second solo exhibition in Dublin at mother’s tankstation in May 2010, a residency and solo exhibition at Galeria Leme, São Paulo and a studio residency at Fountainhead, Miami, followed by a solo presentation at NADA, Miami 2009 with mother’s tankstation. Kaga made a critically acclaimed first solo museum exhibition at the Butler Gallery in Kilkenny, in 2008, and has also exhibited at Galerie Nicolas Krupp, Basel, and Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin.