Step inside the extraordinary creative universe of Kasumi, the internationally acclaimed media artist, filmmaker, and visual innovator known for transforming moving images into groundbreaking digital experiences. In this intimate biographical conversation, Kasumi reflects on her early artistic influences, the evolution of her process, and the experimental techniques that have earned her worldwide recognition. From the fusion of film, sound, and performance to her philosophical take on memory, culture, and perception, Kasumi reveals how she builds meaning from fragments—turning chaos into poetic design. You’ll hear the stories behind her acclaimed works, including her award-winning visual compositions, multimedia performances, and explorations of AI and technology as artistic tools. Whether you're a filmmaker, artist, or creative thinker, this episode offers rare insight into a visionary who continues to redefine what media art can be.

Keywords:
Kasumi, media artist, digital art, video art, multimedia art, filmmaking, creative process, experimental art, contemporary artist interview, art podcast, artist biography, AI art, visual storytelling, art and technology, digital expression, art documentary

BIO
Media artist Kasumi whose career ranges from musician, filmmaker, author, designer, illustrator and painter. Her work features short and feature length experimental films, live shows, VJ, and public art projection, creating looping electronic sculptures, designing motion graphics and animated gifs, producing immersive 360 virtual reality pieces and making fine art prints and wearable art. Kasumi studied music at the Stadliche Musik Hochschule in Cologne, Germany playing the lute. She then moved to Japan, where she lived for 12 years and taught Baroque music at the Tokyo College of Music. Kasumi performed as a soloist throughout Japan, Europe and the U.S., recorded four albums, and performed twice at the Carnegie Hall. Whilst living in Japan, Kasumi explored her writing and published her first book; The Way of the Urban Samurai, in 1992. Kasumi married and raised her son, Kitao Sakurai who became a renown filmmaker. While simultaneously pursuing her work in painting and set design she continued to publish writings on music, politics and social issues for among others; the Asahi Shimbun, The Japan Financial Journal, The Early Music Quarterly Tokyo, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Sacramento Bee. From prints and collage to films and video art installations at the Rocket Mortgage Field House; at the Lincoln Center with The New York Philharmonic and Carnegie Hall; performances with Grandmaster Flash and DJ Spooky; public art at The Cleveland Museum of Art, DC Tower, Vienna, and Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires; VR 360, post-production, and gifs for The Eric Andre Show; and interactive art-making apps. Kasumi’s work Surfacing, developed at The Cleveland Museum of Art, was expanded into a solo exhibition for The Sculpture Center. Perhaps her most impactful production came after being awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2011 when she embarked on the feature-length film project, ‘Shockwaves’, which included 25,000 plus short public domain film samples. It proved to be a life-changing project, which she says ‘was like being in therapy for five years’. Kasumi’s next production is ‘Farandole’, an hour long cinematic assemblage, selected as part of Lincoln Center Presents Women and Non-binary Artists in Tech. It will screen at 6:30 pm on March 14 at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center.- free and open to the public.

Kasumi’s website - http://kasumiartstudios.com/ Kasumi’s
Instagram: @kasumifilms

Kasumi’s favorite women artists:
Amanda Bluglass
Flash Rosenberg
Leslie Swackhamer
Julie Patton

Kasumi’s playlist:
Lil Cherry & Goldbuuda - Mukkbang!
Miles Davis
David Starfire / Cobra
Harsh Kale / One Step Beyond
Ricardo Imperatore / Omelet Banana
Cheb i Sabbah / Ganga Dev
Nightnoise / Fionnghuala
Electronic World Music
Dublicator

Host: Chris Stafford
Produced by Hollowell Studios
Follow @theaartpodcast on Instagram
AART on Facebook
Email: [email protected]

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.

A Hollowell Studios Production
Instagram: @theaartpodcast 
Email: [email protected]
© Copyright: Chris Stafford | Hollowell Studios
All Rights Reserved