Profile, Biography, Awards, Exhibitions, and Publications List
Profile
Masaki Hirokawa
Artist / Creator
A graphic/contemporary artist and app developer who has won 17 international art awards. Through exhibitions in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, as well as features in art books and academic journals, he creates works centered on collective psychology, the structure of the cognitive world, and primordial consciousness, all set against the backdrop of uniquely Japanese prayers. (Independent app business: 50 million total downloads, over 3 million monthly active users | Founder / Management and Production Director).
Biography
Digital Media and Photo Collage, 71 x 115 cm.
Masaki Hirokawa is a Japanese multidisciplinary artist, UI/UX designer, and app developer. His creative activities span visual art, digital media, and interactive technology.
He began teaching himself web design and programming in 1997, and in 1999, he joined Kuniwa System Co., Ltd. as a DTP operator. In 2002, he worked as a programmer/systems engineer at NTT DATA Corporation, focusing on core system development, before becoming a freelancer in 2005. Since then, he has been active in a wide range of fields, including web design, programming, graphic production, and interactive movie production.
In 2006, he received the Excellence Award in the Web Screensaver category at the MTV SO-ZO Competition (sponsored by AMD), and began exhibiting his work both domestically and internationally that same year. Since 2008, he has contributed numerous articles and writings to specialized graphic magazines and design books.
In 2011, he joined a game development project as a technical artist, and in 2013, he launched an independent smartphone app business. To this day, he continues to handle development, global marketing, and operations, supported by over 50 million total downloads and more than 3 million monthly active users.
He resumed full-scale graphic art production in 2019, intensifying his participation in international exhibitions, primarily in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. His work depicts a symbolic world existing between human consciousness, beauty, and decay, poetically tracing the boundary between dreams and reality.
Since 2021, he has received numerous awards from international art institutions, including the A’ Design Award, Fondazione Effetto Arte, Contemporary Art Collectors, and the ITSLIQUID Group. In recent years, he has further solidified his international reputation by receiving the Award of Achievement from the Consulate of Humanitarian & Culture in Greece and the Meritorious Service to the Arts Award at the Luxembourg Art Prize.
Notable exhibitions include the LA Art Show (Los Angeles), Ansan International Photo Festival (Ansan, South Korea), RenovArt Project (Matera, Italy), and the Rome International Art Fair (Rome, Italy). His work has been featured in numerous international magazines, including 365 Art+ Magazine, Le Musee Plus Magazine, The Best Contemporary Masters, Imago, and Anthology – The Last Decade 2015–2025.
Bridging the realms of art and technology, he continues to pursue expressions that reside between the digital and the poetic. His creations establish a serene and surreal world where delicate synesthesia and quiet mysticism coexist.
Work Experience
Digital Media and Photo Collage, 41 x 61 cm.
• Founder / Lead Developer (Independent App Business), 2013–Present: 50 million total downloads, over 3 million monthly active users. Responsible for development, global ASO, and management.
• Creator (Web/UX, Programming, Graphics), 2005–Present: Responsible for everything from UX/UI design to implementation. Numerous contributions since 2008.
• Technical Artist (Game Development), 2011: Production Director.
• Programmer/SE (NTT DATA Corporation), 2002: Design and implementation of core systems.
• DTP Operator (Kuniwa System Co., Ltd.), 2000: Prepress, layout, and production.
Awards
Presented by: Fondazione Effetto Arte
2025-2026 Selected as DAC – Design Classifications "World’s 14th Best Designer" (Organized by A’ Design Award)
2025 Award of Achievement (Organized by the Consulate of Humanitarian & Culture, Chania, Greece)
2025 The New Great Masters in New York (organized by Fondazione Effetto Arte)
2025 W* Recognition (organized by A’Design Award)
2024 Meritorious Service to the Arts Award (organized by Luxembourg Art Prize)
2024 Phoenix for the Arts (organized by Fondazione Effetto Arte)
2024 Global Art Virtuoso Award (organized by Contemporary Art Collectors)
2023 Harmony for Humanity Art Prize (organized by Contemporary Art Collectors)
2023 Career Art Award (organized by Fondazione Effetto Arte)
2023 The Genius of Italy – Michelangelo International Art Prize (organized by Fondazione Effetto Arte)
2023 A’Design Award Golden Award (Photography and Photo Manipulation Category)
2022 12th ITSLIQUID International Contest Honorable Mention
2022 BEST COVER ARTIST AWARD (organized by 365 Art+ 6 Stars AWARDS)
2022 A’Design Award Iron Award (Graphic Design Category)
2021 11th ITSLIQUID International Contest Honorable Mention
2021 ARTIST OF THE YEAR (Organized by ITSLIQUID Group)
2006 MTV SO-ZO Competition supported by AMD 'Web Screensaver Category' Excellence Award
Exhibitions
European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM), Barcelona
18–25 June 2026
Organised by RFA Projects
2026 Rewrite (JAPONICA-JAPONICA, Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre Gallery 2 / Tokyo, Japan)
2026 A Beautiful Horizon (European Museum of Modern Art [MEAM] / Barcelona, Spain)
2025 Ansan International Photo Festival (Ansan Culture & Arts Center / Ansan, South Korea)
2025 KINTSUGI (M.A.D.S. ART GALLERY / Milan, Italy)
2025 TRACES OF DREAMS (M.A.D.S. ART GALLERY / Milan, Italy)
2024 LA ART SHOW - Los Angeles Art Market (Fondazione Effetto Arte / Los Angeles, USA)
2023 International Good Design Exhibition (A’Design Award / Rome, Italy)
2023 ENIGMI (Arte Borgo Gallery / Rome, Italy)
2023 RenovArt | Shapes of Nature (ApuliaAste / Matera, Italy)
2023 CENSORED (M.A.D.S. ART GALLERY / Milan, Italy)
2023 RenovArt | Panta Rhei (ApuliaAste / Matera, Italy)
2023 RenovArt | Flowing Identities (Spazio Opera Gallery, ApuliaAste / Matera, Italy)
2023 FROM THE DISTANCE (VAN GOGH Art Gallery / Madrid, Spain)
2023 RenovArt | Flowing Identities (ApuliaAste / Matera, Italy)
2023 artbook Secretariat Gallery (Toberu Co., Ltd. / Ebisu, Japan)
2023 Paris 2023 International Contemporary Art Fair (VAN GOGH Art Gallery / Paris, France)
2022 BRAIN CAKE 2022 (M.A.D.S. ART GALLERY / Barcelona, Spain / Casa Milà)
2022 ADRENOCROMO FOR DINNER 2022 (M.A.D.S. ART GALLERY / Milan, Italy & Canary Islands, Spain)
2022 WE CONTEMPORARY CATALOG & ART SHOW (MUSA International / Rome, Italy)
2022 RenovArt | 100 Artists for the Future (November Exhibition / ApuliaAste / Matera, Italy)
2022 GUARDIANS OF DREAMS 2022 (M.A.D.S. ART GALLERY / Milan, Italy)
2022 LONDON CONTEMPORARY 2022 (ITSLIQUID Group / London, UK)
2022 PRETTY PERV 2022 (M.A.D.S. ART GALLERY / Milan, Italy & Canary Islands, Spain)
2022 International Digital Art Exhibition (VAN GOGH Art Gallery / Madrid, Spain)
2022 ORIZZONTI TRASVERSALI 2022 (M.A.D.S. ART GALLERY / Milan, Italy)
2022 CONTEMPORARY VENICE 2022 (ITSLIQUID Group / Venice, Italy)
2022 RenovArt | 100 Artists for the Future (July Exhibition / ApuliaAste / Matera, Italy)
2022 International Contemporary Art Fair Monaco 2022 (VAN GOGH Art Gallery / Principality of Monaco)
2022 LIQUID ARSENAL 2022 (M.A.D.S. ART GALLERY / Milan, Italy)
2022 RenovArt | 100 Artists for the Future (ApuliaAste / Matera, Italy)
2022 ROME INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR 2022 (ITSLIQUID Group / Rome, Italy)
2022 VIFAF 2022 - Virtual International Fine Art Fair (World Of Crete / Crete, Greece)
2022 Avant Garde Exhibition (Virtual Artists / London, UK)
2022 NFT - NEW FREEDOM THINK 2022 (M.A.D.S. ART GALLERY / Milan, Italy)
2022 CANVAS INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR 2022 (ITSLIQUID Group / Venice, Italy)
2022 I THE WORLD REVOLVES AROUND ME (M.A.D.S. ART GALLERY / Milan, Italy & Canary Islands, Spain)
2022 THE BODY LANGUAGE 2022 (ITSLIQUID Group / Venice, Italy)
2021 SACRIFICE 2021 (M.A.D.S. ART GALLERY / Milan, Italy)
2009 Larotica II Exhibition (GALLERY ART POINT / Ginza, Japan)
Publications / Books
Published by: Le Musee Plus
Published by: M.A.D.S. ART GALLERY
Published by: Le Musee Plus
Published by: Galleria Tilde
Published by: Galleria Tilde
Published by: 365 Art+ Business Magazine
Rothschild Fine Art
Published by: 365 Art+ Business Magazine
Published by: Contemporary Art Collectors
Published by: Bellamonti Art
Published by: Le Musee Plus
Published by: MUSA International
Published by: MUSA International
Published by: 365 Art+ Business Magazine
2026 Le Musee Plus Magazine Vol. 3 (Le Musee Plus)
2026 365 Art+ Mars City Project Vol. 1 (365 Art+ Business Magazine)
2025 ANTHOLOGY THE LAST DECADE 2015-2025 (M.A.D.S. ART GALLERY)
2025 Le Musee Plus Magazine Vol. 2 (Le Musee Plus)
2025 Imago / Imago 2 (Galleria Tilde)
2024 Digital Art Creators (365 Art+ Business Magazine)
2024 Le Musee Plus Magazine Vol. 1 (Cover Feature, Le Musee Plus)
2024 Rothschild Fine Art -2 (365 Art+ Business Magazine)
2024 People Creating the 21st Century (365 Art+ Business Magazine)
2024 The Best Contemporary Masters 2024 (Fondazione Effetto Arte)
2024 The Luxury Collection of Contemporary Artistry (Contemporary Art Collectors)
2023 WORLD ART GUIDE 2023 (Bellamonti Art)
2023 PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE VISUAL CULTURE (MUSA International)
2022 WE CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL ART CATALOG (MUSA International)
2022 ART ANTHOLOGY V: MADRID EDITION (Guto Ajayu Culture)
2021–2026 365 Art+ Magazine (365 Art+ Business Magazine)
2019 Hot Pepper Beauty July 2019 Issue (Recruit)
2019 Otona no Oshare Techo May 2019 Issue (Takarajimasha)
2016 100 Smartphone Apps to Regulate the Autonomic Nervous System (Gijutsu-Hyohron Co., Ltd.)
2014 Monthly MacPeople July 2014 Issue: 'What iPhone Developers Are Thinking Now' (ASCII Media Works)
2013 Monthly MacPeople February 2014 Issue: 'Ask Popular & Notable Developers! Latest Smartphone App Trends!' (ASCII Media Works)
2010 Collage & Illustration Created with Photoshop × Illustrator (MdN) ISBN: 978-4-8443-6154-1
2010 Photoshop Three-Star Technique Encyclopedia (MdN) ISBN: 978-4-8443-6097-1
2009 GADGET FOR DIGITAL NATIVE (MySpace From JP)
2009 on View From JP. (MySpace From JP)
2008 Learning from Notable Creators: Art Expression, Professional Presentation and Creation Methods (MdN)
2008 Photoshop Making Studio (MdN)
Regarding Influence
Digital Media and Photo Collage, 114 x 79 cm.
Around 1997, when I was 16, I became deeply fascinated by the then-nascent internet, which led me to teach myself web design. Through the internet, meeting designers, programmers, and artists across borders greatly broadened my perspective and shaped my approach to viewing things across multiple disciplines.
On the other hand, there was a quieter inheritance. Both of my grandfathers were temple carpenters involved in the construction and restoration of shrines and temples. From them, I naturally absorbed the idea that forms and spaces can become vessels for holding the invisible, and that the act of working with one's hands can itself be a form of devotion. This sense has flowed at the foundation of my work, even during periods when I was employed in fields that seemed unrelated to art.
My path subsequently expanded into core system development, interactive movie production, writing books on graphic design, game development, and app development, before I steered back toward graphic art in 2019. In the late autumn of that year, under the night sky at Kichijoji Station in Tokyo, I witnessed a mysterious ring of light. It felt like a wordless instruction, or perhaps like being spoken to in Latin, as if I were being told to pour my heart and soul into visual expression from then on. That experience became a major turning point that led me to create symbolic and dreamlike works in rapid succession.
I hold deep respect for Leonor Fini, a painter who maintained a free and sovereign expression, and I am also strongly drawn to the aesthetic of Hans Bellmer, who created structural and poetic works despite his background as an engineer. I first learned of these artists through the writings of Tatsuhiko Shibusawa, and their worldviews had a decisive influence on me in my youth. Above all, the greatest influence came from a mentor I met online when I was 17. He taught me that art is not a lofty, exclusive thing, but rather a natural language that is inherently open to everyone.
Future Outlook
Digital Media and Photo Collage, 123 x 99 cm.
My creative goal is deeply tied to visualizing the 'extra dimensions' that emerge where spirituality and science meet. This interest has grown gradually as I have engaged with general relativity, quantum mechanics, and causal set theory, while also revisiting the Buddhist faith that my beloved grandparents cherished.
Through my work, I hope to soften the divide between the sacred and the secular, even if only slightly, and to restore the delicate connection between humanity and nature. By weaving symbols of nature, human philosophical thought, and images of modern science into a visual narrative, I want to enable the sacred dimension hidden within to engage in dialogue with the vast world we live in.
In short, I believe my role as a creator is for my work to stand as a quiet mediator between these many realms, serving as a catalyst for viewers to touch upon deeper layers of themselves and the universe.
The World I Show My Children
Digital Media and Photo Collage, 89 x 124 cm.
This wish is also deeply personal. As a father to children who now live apart from me, and as someone who has navigated relocation, separation, and various hardships, I feel that art is a lifelong vow to entrust warmth, strength, and beauty to the next generation. Words can sometimes be clumsy, but works of art can serve as a bridge that quietly reconnects generations, languages, and the inner and outer worlds, even when we are apart.
Art-Related Links
Official Website
Art Portfolio
Social Networks
Selected Works
PDF Documents
Graphic Art Shop
App-Related Links
App Store
Google Play
AI Knowledge Base Series
Web & Landing Pages
Contact
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