QUIET START
I was born in a very conservative neighbourhood in Tokyo where all the lawyer families live. It's clean and everybody's nice. But I was always curious about art. After the second world war, my parents' and grandparents' generation had to work hard to create a better life. So they gave up their dreams. My family is, like, super-middle-class. They just keep working. I had a really nice life when I was a child. They say, 'Your generation must change compared to ours.' They have passed on their dreams to me and have encouraged me to do whatever I want. My family are always excited about what I do.
REBEL REBEL
My first unauthorised act involving public space was in college in Tokyo. A friend helped me to do a transmission and I broadcast a TV channel that people within three kilometres of the school could tune in to. I showed my short films and music videos. The broadcasts got local media coverage and, shortly after, I received a letter from the government ordering me to stop because it was illegal.
MOVING ON
I was longing for a more chaotic environment. That's why I chose Manhattan. But I first experienced New York city without being able to speak the language. Coming from Japan, the language and culture were barriers and I felt as though I had a communication disability. Street art changed that for me; it broke the wall. I agree with [media theorist] Marshall McLuhan that media is an extension of the body. Street art was my medium and an extension of my body that enabled me to communicate with the city and its people.