AIKO (aka Lady Aiko), real name Aiko Nakagawa (b. 1979 – Tokyo, Japan), has been creating art since a young age.

Takashi Murakami

In the mid-90’s she moved to New York City where her art career began when she started working for Takashi Murakami. She apprenticed in Murakamiʼs studio in Brooklyn and worked for him until the late 90’s going on to a direct a digital biography on the artist (“Superflat” 1998).

FAILE

AIKO continued to practice her own art and after leaving Murakamiʼs studio graduated from The New School University where she finished her MFA Media Studies and later met up with two American artists, the three of them would come to establish the group now known as FAILE. Creating work within the collective locally and abroad for a number of years, she moved on and established herself as AIKO in 2006.

Bunny

AIKO’s the most significant BUNNY stencil was originally created in 2005 at Banksy’s studio in London where she used to spend time with Banksy as fellow artist. The first BUNNY was sprayed and tested on his studio’s bathroom. Since then, AIKO has been traveling with the stencil and spraying all over the world. It is symbol of her love, peace, independency and freedom.

Public domain

AIKO continues to create work in the studio as well as public space. She is acclaimed in the contemporary art world and well-respected within the international graffiti and street art scene. She had a two-person show “Brick Ladies” with Lady Pink in Brooklyn in 2008, and she worked with Banksy on “Exit Through the Gift Shop” in 2010.

Her large scale works indoors and outdoors are installed in many cities, including:

  • Miamiʼs Wynwood Walls in 2009,
  • New York Cityʼs Bowery Wall in 2013,
  • Coney Art Walls in 2015/2016/2017 (all three curated by Jeffrey Deitch).
Exhibitions

AIKO has also been involved in a large collection of group shows like:

  • “Animamix Biennale” at Shanghaiʼs MoCA in 2009,
  • “Edo Pop” at Japan Society NYC in 2013,
  • BEYOND THE STREETS LA/NY/London in 2018/2019/2023,
  • ‘CITY AS STUDIO” Curated by Jeffery Deitch in 2023

Also she’s had several solo shows like amongst others:

  • “Sweet Heart” at The Outsiders Gallery in the UK in 2014
  • Lady Go at Shizuoka City Tokaido Hiroshige Museum in 2018.
Commissions

AIKO has also been commissioned to create works in collaboration with Louis Vuitton, FENDI, Coach, Apple, Microsoft, Estée Lauder, Kiehlʼs, The Standard, W Hotel, Sanrio Hello Kitty, Isetan, Warner Bros., RED, Pepsi, Reebok, WTC and former First Lady Michelle Obama etc.

Currently AIKO is focusing on studio practice and private commissions at her studio in Lower Manhattan NYC.

AIKO