Richi OWAKI
Video Engineer / Mediaturge

Born in 1977 in Aichi, Japan.
Richi attended Tohoku University of Art and Design to study film and media, and alongside learning about artwork production in general with an emphasis on film, he taught himself and strengthened his understandings about physical expression.
After earning his degree, Richi participated in “memorandum” tour as a member of “Dumb Type”, an artist group that he had been a member as a video engineer since he was a student. He also presented his solo works involving a number of installation and performance pieces, and in 2005, he founded a dance group “Chikuha”.
In February 2004, Richi served as a video engineer for the production of Dumb Type’s exhibition and performance “Voyage/Voyages” presented at YCAM. In April, he then joined the staff team as “mediaturge” who is responsible for carrying out researches on technology and techniques to concretize the works’ idea, while mainly overseeing the media planning and operation for all the YCAM-hosted exhibitions and performances.
In addition, he is involved in the management of an alternative space “Studio Imaichi”. He investigates to form a new relationship between media technology and body, especially realizing a new form of expression by building a tool that bridges the gap between the subjective and objective data that exist in the sphere of physical expression.
Enrollment Period
April, 2009 — July, 2023
Specialties
- Film production
- Body expression
Member of
- Information Processing Society of Japan
Awards
- 2nd Maestro Guanto (Yotsuya Art Stadium’s best artist award) Jury Prize (2007)
- 16th Japan Media Arts Festival Art Division Jury’s selection (2012)
Current Interests
- How one’s body recognize as oneself
- The sense of volume of sculpture works by Rodin and Michelangelo
Skills
- Taiheki Type 5(A concept on one's bodily tendency in sensitivity established and categorized by Haruchika Noguchi. Type 5 is one who gets more excited when there are more difficulties.)