Artist, Filmmaker. Born in Saitama, Japan, in 1984.
Through fieldwork in regions marked by social divisions, Kotaka creates art films that move fluidly between documentary and fiction. Drawing from cultural and ethnographic perspectives, his works employ techniques such as mockumentary, subliminal effects, and Morse code to blur the boundaries between nations and individuals, reality and fiction. Delving into history, language, and communal identity, he collaborates with those directly involved in the issues he explores—whether experts or affected individuals—using humor to reveal the often-overlooked gaps in contemporary society.

Major exhibitions include the Northern Alps International Art Festival, Jakarta Biennale, and Oku-Noto Triennale. His films have been screened at festivals including the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen (Germany) and the Jogja NETPAC Asian Film Festival (Indonesia). In addition to filmmaking, he has contributed writings to cultural magazines, including STUDIO VOICE. He received the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Overseas Study Program for Emerging Artists grant in 2017 and the Pola Art Foundation’s Overseas Research Fellowship in 2019. He is currently based in Saitama, Japan, and Indonesia.

2022　”Kenduri Seni Nusantara” Patani Art Space, Patani, Thailand
2022　”Unmanned Station Art Festival 2022″ OIGAWA 2022″ Shizuoka, Japan
2021　”NANDUR SRAWUNG” Taman Budaya Gallery, Jogja, Indonesia
2021　”Unmanned Station Art Festival 2021″ OIGAWA 2021″ Shizuoka, Japan
2020　”SAITAMA ARTS 2020″ Plaza North, Saitama, Japan
2019　”Beyond the Final Frontier” Subhashok Arts Centre, Bangkok, Thailand
2019　”Noise of Silence : Japanese Art Now” Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast, Northern Ireland
2019　”SAITAMA ARTS 2019″ Plaza North, Saitama, Japan
2018　”Painnale 2018″ CMU Art Museum, Chiang Mai, Thailand
2018　”Bangkok Biennial 2018 : Barrak Survives” Whiteline, Bangkok, Thailand
2018　”Bangkok Biennial 2018 : RE/FORM/ING PATANI” Patani Art Space, Patani, Thailand
2018　”Working Title : Kaleido Asia” Thai Film Archive, Bangkok, Thailand
2017　”Oku-Noto Triennale: SUZU 2017″ Ishikawa, Japan
2016　”The National Movie or Art” The National Museum of Art, Okutama, Japan
2015　”Teratotera Festival” Tokyo, Japan
2015　”Koganecho Bazaar” Kanagawa, Japan
2015　”Shuffling Spaces” Gallery Seescape, Chiang mai, Thailand
2014　”13 Days of Premium Drifting” The National Museum of Art, Okutama, Japan
2013　”Roppongi Art Night” Garage Sakaba, Tokyo, Japan
2011　”Social Dive” 3331Arts CYD, Tokyo, Japan
2011　”Beyond Pressure” Kandawgyi Park, Yangon, Myanmar
2010　”NEO NEW WAVE” island ATRIUM, Chiba, Japan
2010　”Future Vision – The APT Global Art Collection” Li-space, Beijing, China
2009　”Jakarta Biennale ARENA” Indonesian National Gallery, Indonesia
2008　”KITA!!:Japanese Artists Meet Indonesia” Selasar Sunaryo Art Space,Indonesia
2006　”Listening: Living Art from Japan and San Francisco” The Lab, San Francisco, USA

2022　”Psychics and transparent communities” Tsu city Hisai Ars Plaza, Mie, Japan
2021　”PPKM, Tapi kita belum mati” Belum Mati Studio, Jogja, Indonesia
2019　”Political Planet X 2″ Art center Ongoing, Tokyo, Japan
2018　”Political Planet X” CMU Art Center, Chiang Mai, Thailand
2018　”Art Practice in Local Politics” Asian Culture Station, Chiang Mai, Thailand
2017　”The Story of the World 100 Years Ago / A Private Video for the World 100 Years from Now” Art center Ongoing, Tokyo, Japan
2016　”Sound Wars from The Hole” C&G Artpartment, Hong Kong
2014　”In The Starry Night, Here’s looking at you” Nishiogi Residence, Tokyo, Japan
2014　”A Dystopia of Love and Peace learning from a Depraved Pilgrims Village” Art center Ongoing, Tokyo, Japan
2012　”My wife is Yoko Ono, She will make a performance instead of me” Art center Ongoing, Tokyo, Japan
2012　”Bird in Residence” Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design, New Zealand
2011　”Looking for a utopia” Seventh Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
2010　”Potato, Cucumber Love letter” Art center Ongoing, Tokyo, Japan
2010　”Traveling Africa with a Potato” yukobo art space, Tokyo, Japan

2023　Kawamura Arts and Cultural Foundation, Socially Engaged Art Support Grant, JAPAN
2023　Istyle Art and Sports Foundation, JAPAN
2023　Kyoeikai Cultural Foundation, JAPAN
2022　Fukuoka Independent film festival, Excellence Award, JAPAN
2022　Toyama Memorial Museum Foundation, JAPAN
2021　UNIJAPAN, Project Funding, JAPAN
2021　Toshiaki Ogasawara Memorial Foundation, JAPAN
2020　Toshiaki Ogasawara Memorial Foundation, JAPAN
2020　Public Resources Foundation, JAPAN
2019-2021　POLA Art Foundation, JAPAN
2017-2018　Program of Overseas Study for Upcoming Artists (long term), Agency for Cultural Affairs, JAPAN
2016　Arts Council Tokyo, Project Funding, JAPAN
2012　S-AIR Art Award, JAPAN
2010　Asahi Shimbun Foundation, Project Funding, JAPAN

2024 “To-i-Soku-Myo: To Think on your Feet: Strategies of Resistance in Art” Kyoto Art Center, Kyoto, Japan
2024 “Docu-Mement 2024” Honshyoji, Tokyo, Japan
2023 “Crossing boundaries with Mockumentary Vol.3 in BIAK” Kantor Dewan Adat Biak Jalur II, Biak, Papua
2023 “Crossing boundaries with Mockumentary Vol.2 in Wamena” Sekretariat Papuan Voices Wamena, Papua
2023 “Crossing boundaries with Mockumentary Vol.1 in Jayapura” Papuan Voices Jayapura, Jayapura, Papua
2022 “14th Fukuoku independent film festival FIDFF” Fukuoka city science museum, Fukuoka, Japan
2022　”8th Bali International Short Film Festival MINIKINO FILM WEEK” Bali, Indonesia
2021　Re:Karya International Video Fest 2022, Institut Teknologi Telkom Purwokerto, Central Jawa, Indonesia
2021　”16th Jogja NETPAC Asian FIlm Festival JAFF” EmpireXXI, Jogja, Indonesia
2020　”Aceh Documentary Film Festival” Banda Ache, Indonesia
2019　”Kerjasama 59 Special Screening Program” SKALE SPACE, Surabaya, Indonesia
2019　”Di Balik Tirai” Padepokan Seni Bagong Kussudiardja, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2018　”Against Apathy to Politics, Recent Japanese Activist-Artist Films” Documentary Club Theater, Bangkok, Thailand
2018　”Watching sound, listening to moving image vol.2″ TINI, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
2017　”16th Festival Film Documenter Yogyakarta FFD” Taman Buddaya, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2015　”Bangkok Underground Film Festival” Museum Siam, Bangkok, Thailand
2015　”Ongoing Fes” Art center Ongoing, Tokyo, Japan
2015　”untitled film Screening” Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
2014　”10×10″ Baus Theater, Tokyo, Japan
2011　”Teratotera Festival” Baus Theater, Tokyo, Japan
2011　”Last 30days of Kotaka Shop” Tokyo, Japan
2010　”Video Scream, monne porte” Nagasaki, Japan
2010　”56th International Short Film Festival Oberhausen” Lichtburg Filmtheater, Oberhausen, Germany
2008　”20:20 VANZA Networking session” VANZA art space, cape town, South Africa
2008　”Over coming maps 5 -The PACA study tour 2008″ Lusaca National, Museum, Lusaca, Zambia
2007　”Screening at H-I-T” Hit Art Space, Gothenburg. Sweden. 2007 “OVL2” Zaim Yokohama, Japan
2007　”Istanbul international film festival” Istanbul, Turkey
2007　”MIACA@LUX” London, UK
2006　”SF TOKYO@ 667 shot well” 667 shot well, San Francisco, USA

2023　Katsurao AIR, Fukushima, Japan
2022　YUIPORT AIR, Niigata City Center for Creative Arts YUIPORT, Niigata, Japan
2022　HISAI AIR, Tsu City Hisai Ars Plaza, Mie, Japan
2019　KUNCI Cultural Studies Center, Jogja, Indonesia
2018　Patani Art Space, Patani, Thai
2018　Godung Studio, Chiang mai, Thai
2016　sound pocket Exchange AIR Program, Hong Kong
2015　Koganecho Bazaar AIR, Kanagawa, Japan
2014　Teratotera Nishiogi AIR, Tokyo, Japan
2012　S-AIR Exchange AIR Program, Whitecliffe of Arts and Design, Wellington, New Zealand
2010　Seventh Gallery AIR, Melbourne, Australia

2024　Art Center Ongoing, Tokyo, Japan
2023　Irregular Rhythm Asylum, Tokyo, Japan
2023　Koenji Pundit, Tokyo, Japan
2023　NO LIMIT 2023, Nantoka Bar, Tokyo, Japan
2022　YUIPORT Niigata City Center for Creative Arts, Niigata, Japan
2022　Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
2022　Tsu City Hisai Ars Plaza, Mie, Japan
2022　Shared Campus, Zurich University of the Arts, Switzerland
2022　Multiple Voices, Kyoto Seika University, Kyoto, Japan
2021　Jogja Biennnale 2021, Jogja National Museum, Indonesia
2021　Institut teknologi Telkom Purwokerto, Central Jawa, Indonesia
2021　Nandur Srawung, Taman Budaya Gallery, Jogja, Indonesia
2021　Amateur Riot　Radio, Tokyo, Japan
2019　Aceh Documentary Film Festival, Banda Aceh, indonesia
2019　Art for the Next Decade in Pembroke JCR Art, Oxford, UK
2019　Documentary Club, Bangkok, Thai
2019　Bangkok Biennial 2018 Barrak survives, Tentacles gallery, Bangkok, Thai
2019　Asian Culture Station, Chiang mai, Thai
2015　Koganecho Bazaar, Yokohama, Japan
2015　Arts Initiative Tokyo, Japan
2015　Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
2012　Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design, Wellington, New Zealand
2011　3331 Arts Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan
2008　VANZA Art Space, Cape Town, South Africa