Ohkawara Ai

Ai Ohkawara was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1979. She studied at Musashino Art University in Tokyo. She received her Bachelors Degree in Japanese Art in 2002 and her Masters Degree in Japanese Art in 2004. She currently lives in Tokyo, Japan. Since her first solo exhibition in Ginza in 2003, she has been featured in numerous art magazines, TV shows, movies, and various other formats. Since 2003, she has been part of numerous solo and group exhibitions across Japan. Beginning in 2007, she expanded her artistic reach to multiple international avenues, including Taiwan, China, United States, Singapore, Malaysia, Middle East and Europe.

She has an international following, having sold her work across Europe, Asia, and North America. Her art is regularly part of various exhibitions throughout Japan.

Born in 1979 in Tokyo, currently living in Tokyo

Graduated from Musashino Art University, Faculty of Art and Design, Department of Japanese Painting in 2002, and entered the same graduate school

Completed the Japanese painting course at Musashino Art University Graduate School of Art and Design in 2004

Major solo exhibitions

2025 solo touring exhibition scheduled to be held at Nihonbashi Takashimaya Gallery X & Osaka Takashimaya GalleryNEXT

Solo exhibition Ginza Tsutaya Bookstore Art Square “Forest of Light Falling” Tokyo

2024 Solo Exhibition Ginza Tsutaya Bookstore Art Square “How Sheep Staying Quiet Get Warmth II”

Solo exhibition Kyoto Tsutaya Bookstore Art Wall “How Do Sheep Remain Quiet Get Warmth III”

2023 Solo Exhibition at Shinjuku Takashimaya Art Gallery “How Sheep Remain Quiet Gains Warmth” Tokyo

2019 Solo Exhibition at Shinjuku Takashimaya Art Gallery “How to Change the Silence Remaining on Your Eardrum into Kindness” Tokyo

2018 Solo Exhibition Matsuzakaya Nagoya Art Gallery “Spectrum” Nagoya

2016 solo exhibition Shinjuku Takashimaya Art Gallery “Photomorphogenesis” Tokyo

2013 solo exhibition, Shinjuku Takashimaya Art Gallery “I Have No Way to Change the World”, Tokyo

2012 Solo Exhibition Osaka Takashimaya Gallery NEXT “Here Is Absence” Osaka

Solo exhibition The Hive Gallery and Studios Los Angeles

2011 solo exhibition, Hellion Gallery, Portland, USA

2010 solo exhibition, Shinjuku Takashimaya Art Gallery “The Purity of Being and the Deep Place” (also held in 2008), and many other solo exhibitions

Major Group Exhibitions and Art Fairs

2025 Women's Wave Exhibition Sekiguchi Museum of Art, Tokyo

The Night Before the Break Exhibition, Sogo Museum of Art, Yokohama

2024 ART TAIPEI 2024 Taiwan (also exhibited in 2008)

The End of The Beginning Part.2 HOTEL ELIENA SEOUL

2023 ART FORMOSA 2023 TAIWAN

ART OSAKA 2023 (also exhibiting in 2022) Osaka

ART SESSION by Ginza Tsutaya Bookstore SUMEER 2023 Ginza Tsutaya Bookstore (also exhibited in 2024)

2009 - 2024 ART FAIR TOKYO (Exhibited every year except 2019) Tokyo International Forum

2019 Material Witness Williamsburg Art and Historical Center New York

ART EXPO 2019 NEW YORK

2017 Making their Mark 100 Bogart Gallery New York

2016 Between the Lines Parasol Projects New York

2015 Emerging Director's Art Fair ULTRA (also exhibited in 2013,2014) SPIRAL Aoyama/Tokyo

Summer Group Show Monkdogz Urban Art Gallery New York

2013 Art Nagoya 2013 The Westin Nagoya Castle Hotel Nagoya

Hive Gallery`s 11th Year Anniversar The Hive Gallery And Studios Los Angeles

2011 Pulp and Pigment ‒ Group Print Show Hellion South Gallery San Diego

SEIZE ‒ An International Exhibition Monkdogz Urban Art & Artemisia New York

2010 Salaryman Collector's 30-Year Trajectory Yamamoto Fuyuhiko Collection Exhibition, Sato Museum of Art, Tokyo

2009 Art Fair Sh Contemporary 2009 Shanghai China

Tokyo Contemporary Art Fair 2009 (also exhibited in 2008) Tokyo Art Club

Art Fair China International Gallery EXPO 2009 Beijing (also exhibited in 2008)

Art Fair Art Expo Malaysia 2009 Malaysia

2008 Art Fair Art Singapore 2008 Singapore

Asia Top Gallery Art Fair 08 Hotel New Otani Tokyo

2007 Flashing Flesh Monkdogz Urban Art Gallery New York

Jump Henry Gregg Gallery New York

Art Fair Asian Contemporary Art Fair New York

2006 Foreplay - Art of Remembrance Monkdogz Urban Art Gallery New York

2003 12th Sato International Cultural Education Foundation Scholarship Art Exhibition, Sato Museum of Art, Tokyo, etc.

Use book covers

2024 “Shadowplay” by Joseph O'Connor, Tokyo Sogensha (bound by Takayo Yanagawa)

2023 “Sunset” paperback edition by Kirino Natsuo (writer who has won multiple literary awards) Iwanami Shoten (bound by Seiichi Suzuki)

2020 “Sunset” by Kirino Natsuo (writer who has won multiple literary awards) Iwanami Shoten (bound by Seiichi Suzuki)

“Manji Domoe” by Tsujihara Noboru (Akutagawa Prize writer) Chuo Koronsha (bound by Seiichi Suzuki)

2016 “Shonen Seijo” by Maki Kashimada (Akutagawa Award writer) Kawade Shobo Shinsha (bound by Seiichi Suzuki)

2012 “Death and Destruction Panse” by Henmi Tsune (Akutagawa Award writer) Mainichi Newspapers (bound by Naoko Nakui)

Published in magazines, newspapers, and publications

2025 Magazine “Art Collectors” February Issue Special Feature: Sold Out Artists All Data 2025

2024 Asahi Shimbun “Frontrunner” 7/20

“Art Collectors” Magazine February Issue Special Feature: Sold Out Artists All Data 2024

“Art Collectors” Magazine October Issue Special Feature: Reiwa Painters

2021 Magazine “Books” May Issue Iwanami Shoten (Text Contributed) “Between Clouds and Sky”

The July issue of the magazine “Art Collectors” “I wanted this from the Editorial Department!”

2020 magazine “Art Collectors” February issue sold out all artist data 2020

“Art Collectors” magazine nude feature (also published in 2018)

Magazine “EXTRART EXTRAT” Special Feature: Okawara Ai (6 pages)

Featured artists recommended by ONBEAT in the magazine “ONBEAT” (page 5)

2013 art book “The Tall Trees of Tokyo” American Overcup Press publication and many others

TV appearances

2020 “The Night Before Break” BS Fuji

Appeared in YouTube commercials and storefront commercials

2021 “Continuing to Draw UAE Treatment Edition Japan IVR Society”

2010 Mitsubishi Pencil Jetstream

Production of works for movies, TV dramas, and NETFLIX; use of works in plays

2023 MBS drama “Dog and Trash”

Fuji TV drama “Barakamon”

Netflix drama “Mitarai Family Bursts Into Flames”

2022 movie “Lupin's Daughter” · Fuji TV drama “Lupin's Daughter Part.2”

Production of paintings appearing in the 2020 film “Midnight Swan” (Japan Academy Award—starring Tsuyoshi Kusanagi)

2018 TV commercial headphone “Beats”

2019 Netflix drama “Naked Director” season 1

Collaboration with companies

2024 Shotoku Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. Japanese sake “Shortoku”

2018 - 2025 Fashion Brand Rehacer (Rare Cell) T-shirt Sales Co., Ltd. Turtle

2012 Takashimaya Hyakka Festival collaboration bag sale

2011 Sale of necklaces and earrings in collaboration with Takashimaya Misty accessory designer

collections

Sekiguchi Art Museum/YTF Gallery, Taiwan/French Restaurant Arbace, Ginza/Famous Collector Seki Kazuhiko/Famous

Collector Yamamoto Fuyuhiko et al.