Tomorrow, June 11, is the last day of the exhibition of Aimi Sekiguchi, an internationally acclaimed Japanese VR artist. Being held at the ftNFT Phygital Space in Dubai Mall, it gives visitors an opportunity to interact with art in an unconventional way. In addition to having a look at Sekiguchi’s art, one can buy it in the form of NFTs and physical works.
In her work, the artist masterly merges the physical and digital realms. She uses HTC Vive and Google’s Tilt Brush to transfer herself into VR space to create a colourful world where ukiyo-e painting techniques and traditional Japanese motifs meet modern technologies. Speaking about her art, Sekiguchi says: “You transport the viewer to a new dimension, and enable them to see the world in a brand new way. […] I want people to feel the same electric magic I felt the day I first tried VR”. Although she draws her inspiration from Japanese culture, in her VR paintings, Sekiguchi depicts a full range of subjects, including those related to modern popular culture.
The ftNFT Phygital Space, which hosts the exhibition, allows the visitors to dive in Sekiguchi’s fantastical VR world through high-tech devices and the latest glasses-free 3D displays only available in limited countries.
About the artist
Aimi Sekiguchi is a VR/NFT artist and a successful YouTube streamer residing in Tokyo; she is also a former Idol, actress, and singer. The artist has played a crucial role in growing VR art in Japan and the world to its current popularity. She started making VR art in 2016, long before the dawn of NFT art or the highly advanced VR equipment of the last few years. In 2017, she held the world’s first VR solo exhibition through the support of crowdfunding, aiming to popularise this type of art.
Apart from pursuing her art career, Sekiguchi is also a VR education advisor for Jikei COM Group (a group of professional training colleges) and a member of Creek & River Co., Ltd. (a Japan-based company engaged in the production and agency business of video, games, the Web, and advertising and publishing). In conjunction with it, she is an official ambassador for Withings (a French home electronics company) and Minamisoma Mirai Art (Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture).
Sekiguchi holds live VR painting performances around the world and has collaborated with different luxury brands and companies in Japan and the Japanese government. The artist has taken part in such events as GITEX 2019 and 2022 (Dubai, UAE); CES 2020 (Las Vegas, USA); WorldSkills 2019 (closing ceremony) (Kazan, Russia); HANNOVER MESSE 2018 (Germany); SVVR at Silicon Valley Convention Center (CA, USA); Cooler Lumpur 2017 (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia); and many others.
You might also be interested in visiting the Symbiotic: Hyperreal exhibition by Talal and Ziad Al Najjar.
