AWRD meets GLOBAL CREATORS (#AMGC) is a series by AWRD, an open call and co-creation platform where companies, municipalities, and creators collaborate on diverse themes.
Centered on the theme of “New Sensibilities,” the series spotlights emerging creators from around the world working across design, art, business, and beyond—exploring their creative practices, the value of open calls, and the unique cultures that shape their work.
Our guest for this edition is Riki Osawa, a multidisciplinary creator whose practice spans graphic art, digital art, sound creation, fashion, and moving image. In addition to founding the NFT project PA3L, Osawa works across fashion design, art direction, video editing, and curation without limiting himself to a single field.
In this interview, we speak with Osawa about the origins of his creative practice and the expressive possibilities that emerge from moving freely between genres and media.
— You work across a wide range of disciplines, including film, sound, digital art, and fashion. How did your multidisciplinary approach develop?
Since high school, I studied various forms of art outside of fashion, but I felt that fashion was the most suitable medium for my own expression. I participated in fashion shows and created editorial-style projects while I was still a student.
After graduating from vocational school, I launched my own brand. I wanted to present my collections as moving-image works, so I taught myself filmmaking. That naturally led me to composing music as well, and little by little I kept expanding what I was capable of creating.
The same goes for graphic design—it all feels like a continuation of the creative momentum I developed during my student years.
— Why do you move between different media such as film, sound, space, and fashion? Is combining multiple genres a way of expressing something that a single medium cannot?
For me, it's much like cooking different meals every day. Film, graphics, and sound all feel like the same language internally.
I simply make whatever feels necessary in that moment—or rather, what needs to be made. Sometimes that becomes an installation, sometimes an NFT. The output changes depending on the situation.
Looking back, I often realize I've crossed disciplines, but it's not something I'm consciously committed to. Crossing genres is a result, not a goal.
— Your output changes depending on the medium and your role, whether it's film, installation, art direction, fashion, client work, or personal artwork. Are there differences in what you consciously prioritize in each?
Thankfully, many of my client projects are closely aligned with my own visual language, so I don't need to completely switch mindsets.
What I do focus on is fulfilling my role as one part of a larger project. I always work backwards from the deadline and aim to deliver something that exceeds expectations, no matter what.
As for my personal practice, I actually see it much the same way. Making art is also something I have to do. I feel like if I stopped creating, some essential part of me would come to an end.
— You've created visuals for AWRD projects including NEWVIEW and ComoNe Program #02. What do you consider most important when communicating a project's appeal and inspiring people to participate?
When creating visuals, I imagine the exhibition itself—the space, the atmosphere, and how the work will eventually be experienced.
I keep breaking down the project's concept over and over, approaching it from different perspectives until I arrive at an image that allows applicants to imagine themselves within it.
Of course, there are always constraints. Precisely because of those limitations, I like to work in a slightly rebellious way—creating visuals that intentionally step just beyond the boundaries of the brief through a kind of meta-level reverse engineering.
— With PA3L, you've created not only the artworks but also the website, videos, and sound yourself. Why is it important for you to design an entire world from beginning to end, and what is your process like?
Not just with PA3L, but in everything I make, I always strive to create something that is as close as possible to 100% distilled from myself. Depending on the circumstances, I do ask others for help when necessary.
Although PA3L appears to be a universal form of digital art, it's deeply infused with my personal perspective on life and death. It's a project that places those emotions within the technology of NFTs.
Because the emotional process is something only I can experience, there's naturally very little room for anyone else to enter that part of the creation.
— Sound seems to play an essential role throughout your work, including PA3L. What position does sound occupy in your creative practice?
In almost every piece I create, there's already sound playing in my head.
Whether I choose to materialize it depends on the work, but sound adds another layer to the way people experience an artwork. In video especially, the relationship between image and sound can produce unexpectedly interesting results, so I often create works that include both.
On the other hand, there are times when it's more powerful to let silence resonate. In those cases, I intentionally add no sound, allowing the surrounding environmental noise to become part of the completed work.
— Is there anything you'd like to challenge yourself with in the future?
There are countless things I want to do, but I've always had the attitude that if it couldn't be perfect, it wasn't worth doing.
The downside is that I've often missed the right moment to present work or postponed projects altogether. Going forward, I'd like to broaden my perspective in a more casual and positive way.
I've also tended to avoid competitions on purpose, but I'd like to become more open to them as well. I'll be creating until the day I die, so I'll just keep improving, one day at a time.
Riki Osawa
Born in 1991 in Setagaya, Tokyo.
Riki Osawa is a multidisciplinary creator whose practice blends graphic art, digital art, sound creation, and fashion design across diverse cultural influences and genres. In recent years, he has received awards at NARITA ART RUNWAY and held a solo exhibition at Shibuya Hikarie, while participating in numerous contemporary art events.
His work spans art direction and creative production for a wide range of projects, founding the NFT project PA3L, and working as a video editor for music videos and live performances by renowned artists. He is also a member of the creative unit Hz.
Links
Instagram：https://www.instagram.com/rkosw/
Website：https://www.rikiosawa.com/rikiosawatop
Editing: AWRD Editorial Department
