AI KINOSHITA
Visual artist, tattooist, improvisational musician, and the co-founder of "ENTRANCE", an experimental kōminkan (community space) on Onomichi's beloved shopping arcade.
She perceives her artistic work as existing in a hypothetical genre she calls "Post-Synthetism". Her creative practice spans oil painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, and video, all rooted in the exploration of boundless metaphysical realities. To articulate her philosophical stance, she adopts an approach that is both starkly realistic and profoundly nihilistic, embracing the concept of meaninglessness. She articulates the origins of her stance in her manifesto, "The theory of being manipulated by ants".
As a tattooist, she frames her work as a ceremonial act in which she leaves an indelible, protective charm on other people's bodies, fostering intimate, meaningful moments with her clients. Specializing in hand-poked flashwork, she gives tattoos at her studio in Onomichi, and holds pop-up events across Japan.
In 2024, she formed the improvisational musical unit "A B O" with bassist YZK Kentaro Yoshizaki. They engage in long-form sessions, with Ai on alto saxophone and vocals. A B O tries to detect and amplify the “unconscious sounds” that emerge from the energy, atmosphere, and spontaneity of a particular moment.
She is the co-founder of ENTRANCE: a storefront in Onomichi, opening in March 2025, along with JJ (Junsuke Takeda), founder of design studio GUYDES. ENTRANCE is a place for people to gather & experiment with new, old, and evolving ways of making connections with each other.
As a tattooist, she frames her work as a ceremonial act in which she leaves an indelible, protective charm on other people's bodies, fostering intimate, meaningful moments with her clients. Specializing in hand-poked flashwork, she gives tattoos at her studio in Onomichi, and holds pop-up events across Japan.
In 2024, she formed the improvisational musical unit "A B O" with bassist YZK Kentaro Yoshizaki. They engage in long-form sessions, with Ai on alto saxophone and vocals. A B O tries to detect and amplify the “unconscious sounds” that emerge from the energy, atmosphere, and spontaneity of a particular moment.
She is the co-founder of ENTRANCE: a storefront in Onomichi, opening in March 2025, along with JJ (Junsuke Takeda), founder of design studio GUYDES. ENTRANCE is a place for people to gather & experiment with new, old, and evolving ways of making connections with each other.