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  • “BAKIBAKI pattern works are simply symbols rather than paintings.”

    This statement will help to understand the essence of BAKIBAKI concept.Writing one’s name is the most symbolic representation of the personality.On the one hand, we write name on papers such as signature on the contracts or asking autograph of someone we admire.On the other hand, street artists tag their name on surfaces of cities.”Tagging” is speechful expression of artist’s presence, and those tagged symbols will have various meanings once it has done on walls.BAKIBAKI works become a part of continuous story on human’s creation,and it would be appeared as a message in a bottle when passed on to the generation centuries after. We would never know future perspective on BAKIBAKI symbols, however we do know artist’s messages have been spread around the world.And logs of the messages will be rooted onto stream of time eternally.
    Text by Kawako Hasegawa

    BAKIBAKI / Kohei Yamao

    Born in Osaka in 1978. In 2001, while studying at Kyoto City University of Arts, they started their activities as a live painting duo “DOPPEL”. The signature “BAKI pattern” is a modern update of an ancient Japanese pattern, and embodies the fusion of tradition and street culture. His activities have their roots in live painting in music venues such as club culture, and after developing interior murals, he is currently focusing most of his efforts on large-scale exterior murals/public art. Major works in recent years include Tainan Art Museum Mural (2016), Osaka International Airport Mural (2018), POW!WOW!TAIWAN (2015), POW!WOW!HAWAII (2018), The Wallriors/Kaohsiung ( He also actively participates in overseas mural projects such as Varanasi Art Project (2019), DUK Festival/Serbia (2023). In 2021, the mural project "Yodokabe" was launched in Juso, Osaka, contributing to expanding awareness of mural culture in Japan and revitalizing the region in preparation for the 2025 Osaka Expo.

    1978Born in Osaka
    2003BFA, Kyoto City University of Art

    Selected works.

    2001 Live-Painting DUO "DOPPEL" is started.
    2005 Live-Painting "Canada vs Japan Live-Paintng Expo" at ExpoA ichi.
    Group Exhibition "digmeout STRIKES BACK!"at Compound Gallery, Portland, U.S.
    2007 Exhibition "Stand by me"at Asanoha, Tokyo.
    Exhibition "Yokubou-no-Kamatari" at Japonica, Kyoto.
    Live-Painting "Rakuten Golden Eagles" at Fullcast Studium,S endai.
    2009 Live-Painting "moebius.jp" at Kyoto International Manga Museum.(Archives)
    Live-Painting at "Greyone Arsenal",Taiwan.
    2010 Mural "ZARA" Shibuya, Tokyo.
    Illustration "So-en" Bunka Publishing Bureau, Tokyo.
    Mural "cafe 1001" London, UK.
    Live-Painting "Zoophoniq" Bretagne, France,
    Exhibition "ARAHABAKI" at Kouji-machi Garou, Tokyo.
    2011 Exhibition "BAKIBAKI Exhibition" at Juno, London, UK.
    Live-Painting "Ki Zuna" at Maria, Berlin, Germany.
    Exhibition "Re:Yokubou-no-Kamatari" at mograg garage,Tokyo.
    Traveling Exhibition "Ancient Future" Tokyo,Sendai,Osaka,Kyoto,Kanazawa,Nagasaki.
    2012 Group Exhibition "Visualizer" at Galaxy Gallery, Osaka.
    Mural "OKUPA VISUAL PROJECT" in Oaxaca, Mexico.
    2013 Live-Painting"Tensai108"Zojoji-Temple, Tokyo
    Exhibition "Yokubou-no-Kamatari 3" at amp + oniwa,Tokyo.
    Exhibition "IBUSHI-GIN" at DMO ARTS, Osaka.
    2014 Group Exhibition "BCTION" at New-Kojimachi Building,Tokyo.　
    Group Exhibition "7senses" at Ebisu Mitsukoshi,Tokyo.　
    Two-person exhibition"934" at Kojimachi Gallery,Tokyo.
    2015 Exhibition "Tsubakimono" at Division,Kyoto.
    Graphic "Hakua" projecshon-mapping for Himeji-jo Castle, Hyogo
    Group Exhibition "Tongari-no-susume" at Shinjyuku Isetan,Tokyo.　
    Mural "DougoyART" at Dougokan, Ehime
    Mural "POW! WOW! TAIWAN" at Tainan, Taiwan
    2016 Mural "Tainan City Museum of Art" at Tainan, Taiwan
    Live-Painting "Ku-Soh Kyoto” at transpark, Taipei, Taiwan
    Mural "AIR MAX CON TYO" at BROOKS CAFÉ, Tokyo
    Mural"ANTEROOM KYOTO" Kyoto
    Exhibition "Biwako biennale"Shiga
    Live-Painting "The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto
    2017 Exhibition "ARHBK POP UP 2017" COCONANI / IGAO, Tokyo
    Live-Painting "ARTS CLUB" Madrid, Spain
    Mural "MOTHER SHIP" Barcerona, Spain
    Mural "BARTKIRA PARIS" GALERIE CORRAZZA 1787, Paris, France
    Mural/Exhibition "URBAN SPREE" Berlin, Germany
    Mural "Art Project Takasaki" Gunma
    Exhibition "Animal Sequence" Pine Brooklyn Osaka, Kamp Okayama
    Exhibition "Monochrome" y.gion, Kyoto
    Mural "YAMBARU ART FESTIVAL 2017" Ogimi Municipal Shioya Elementary School, Okinawa
    2018 Mural "POW!WOW!HAWAII , Kakaako, Hawaii
    Mural ”Osaka International Airport" Osaka
    Mural ”GRAN ART FES" Granfront、Osaka
    Mural "KAI PROJECT" Daisen, Tottori
    Mural "BACKWOODS GALLERY" Melbourne, Australia
    Canvas ”PULLMAN TOKYO” Tamachi, Tokyo
    Mural "Sakishima Cosmo Tower Hotel" Sakishima, Osaka
    Mural "FACEBOOK TOKYO"Roppongi, Tokyo
    2019 Lecture "Today at Apple" Apple Kyoto
    Mural "WeWork" Nanba, Osaka
    Live Painting "Monstar Energy" Fukuoka
    Product "WIND AND SEA"
    Mural "The Wallriors" Kaohsioun, Taiwan
    Exhibition "DRIP and LINE" y.gion, Kyoto
    Mural "Varanasi Art Project" Varanasi, India
    Mural "The Unity Patong" Phuket, Thailand
    2020 Mural "SEMBA MURAL PROJECT"
    Mural "sequence KYOTO GOJO"
    Mural "Prince Hotel Tokyo Bay Shiomi"
    Mural "Osaka City Juso Hospital"
    Exhibition "BAKIBAKI EXPO 2020" Pine Brooklyn, Osaka
    2021 Mural "YODOGAWA WALL ART PROJECT"
    Live painting "The new sunday" Tokyo tower
    Exhibition "Space Mounting" Kyoto museum of crafts and design
    Mural "ART SCRAMBLE" Granfront, Osaka
    Exhibition "LOVE"BnA Alter Museum, Kyoto
    Live painting "light shelter"Itami hall, Hyogo
    2022 Floor Painting "PARK DAY" Osaka
    Mural "Yodokabe2022" Osaka
    Mural "Mori seiki" Nara
    Mural "ARTISAN TOMIOKA" Gunma
    Mural "Up Housing" Osaka
    Mural "Coin Loundry Kujira" Osaka
    Mural "Fukaya Hanazono Premium Outlet" Saitama
    Live Painting "The Beach" Bagus, Wakayama
    Intelior "Mercure Nanba" Osaka
    2023 Pou-up"CMK GALLERY"Osaka
    Mural"Sesame Heughts"Osaka
    Mural"Shuhally"Kanagawa
    Mural"DUK Festival"Serbia
    Mural"Yodokabe2023"Osaka