LY

Born in Tokyo in 1981, where she still lives and works, LY blends painting, drawing and mural art around a single central character: LUV, a benevolent creature who serves as both her alter ego and a visual diary.

Through LUV she documents her own life — motherhood, the city, skateboarding, Tokyo’s pop culture — in a neo-pop, Superflat register. The gaze is the constant: whichever way the body turns, the eyes hold the viewer.

Her work was long dominated by a carefully composed palette of black, white and grey. She now brings in new shades, pink among them, widening the visual language without loosening its hard edges. She names the graffitied walls of Tokyo as a decisive influence, and her practice sits deliberately between street art and studio painting.

Her murals can be seen in Japan, France, Thailand, Malaysia and the United States. She has shown at numerous international fairs and galleries, and her limited editions are increasingly sought after by collectors. Her work is held in private collections worldwide as well as in several corporate collections.

Sato Gallery has presented her at Urban Art Fair and KunstRAI Amsterdam.