Profile
After graduating from design college, Horiren the First started out working for a computer game company. While she later moved onto becoming a muralist the irezumi (traditional tattoo) captivated her, and at 30 years of age, after years of self-study, she began her career as a irezumi-shi (tattoo artist). As the first in line of irezumi-shi to take the name Horiren the First, she is constantly pursuing greater heights in the industry.
1998
Commenced her career as Irezumi-shi (Tattooist / Tattoo Artist)
2004
Apr
Organized a photographic exhibition at Le Deco Gallery, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo
May
Participated in the Amsterdam Tattoo Convention, Netherlands
2005
Jun
Awarded the following awards at the Amsterdam Tattoo Convention:
BEST OF JAPANESE TATTOO
BEST OF SHOW
BEST TRADITIONAL TATTOO
2006
May
Established Lotus Co., Ltd.
Jun
Awarded the following awards again (as per 2005)at the Amsterdam Tattoo Convention:
BEST of JAPANESE TATTOO
BEST of SHOW
BEST TRADITIONAL TATTOO
2007
Oct
Awarded 3rd place for BEST COLOR TATTOO at the London Tattoo Convention, England
2008
Jan
Participated in the production of music video, “Deai no Kakera” by Ketsumeishi
Oct
Live painting performance at SWATCH Ginza
Nov
Organized “Dai-ren-sai”ー10th Anniversary as Irezumi-shi celebration event, with 350 attendees, at Urawa Royal Pines Hotel
Dec
Live tattoo demonstration and lectured on Irezumi at Kawanabe Kyosai Memorial Museum
2009
Aug
Participated in Tattoo Jam, Doncaster, UK
2010
Jan
Live body painting collaboration with Kaname Ozuma at Bangkok International Tattoo Convention, Thailand
Aug
Awarded BEST OF SHOW at the Tattoo Hollywood Convention, LA, USA
2011
May
Volunteered in Fukushima relief efforts after the Great East Japan Earthquake & Tsunami hit Japan
Aug
Directed tattoo supervision and design for the movie “Dreams for Sale”, starring Shoufukutei Tsurube
Oct
Awarded FIRST PLACE at the Osaka Tattoo Convention, “Straight Life”, Osaka
Dec
Organized “Kechigan” (a festival for requests and expression of thanks to the gods), in relief efforts for the Great East Japan Earthquake Recovery, including live painting performance of a tiger to introduce the “Tora-mai”(Iwate prefectural traditional tiger dance) to people of Aoyama, Tokyo
2012
Feb
Production of the banner for the “Tora-mai (traditional tiger dance)” of Otsuchi, Iwate’s London performance
May-Jun
Organized a photographic and painting exhibition titled “JAPAN?” in collaboration with photographer, Hiroyuki Hara in Brisbane, Australia
Jun
Lectured on the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and nuclear power at a photographic & painting exhibition “JAPAN?”, Australia
Aug
Guest appearance at Amsterdam Tattoo Museum, Netherlands
Sep
Participated in Osaka Tattoo Convention, “Tattoo Syndrome” in Osaka
Nov
Live tattoo at “OSAKA蛍FIREFLY” music event, Osaka
2013
Apr
Participated in Osaka Tattoo Convention “Straight Life”, Osaka
Nov
Organized “Word Gallery”, an exhibition on Facebook of over 100 of her friends around the world with photographs of HorirenⅠ’s artwork in honor of her 15th anniversary as a tattoo artist
2014
Mar
Held joint exhibition in London with photographer Mayumi Hirata, “Dance tiger, dance”, featuring Mayumi Hirata’s photographs, videos and installations together with HorirenⅠ’s scroll paintings, England
Jun
“Heaven, Earth, and People” exhibition in collaboration with photographer Mayumi Hirata, 3D artist Serge Tucker, including HorirenⅠ’s Scroll paintings of Buddhas and Gods, Luxembourg
Sep
Featured in “Tattoo Electric” exhibition in New York
2015
May
Performed live body painting in an exhibition held at Shinjuku-Za, Tokyo
Nov
Live tattoo demonstration and presented an essay on history of Japanese irezumi at “Japan Festival” , Lithuania
Held exhibition showcasing 30 artworks, inspired by the work of famous 19th century Japanese painter Kawanabe Kyosai Memorial Museum, Saitama
2016
May
Organized a live tattoo show at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada
2017
Mar
Interviewed and appeared on VICE TV, UK
Jun
Live body painting at “Yoko Ozuma Nanakaiki (6th anniversary of a death) Original Painting Exhibition”, Tokyo
2018
Apr
Exhibited work at “TUA ARONUI – BEYOND THE LINE -” at the Embassy of New Zealand in Shibuya, Tokyo
May
Helped organize a cultural exchange event with the Maori people, where the Haka performance by the Maori dancers, dedicated to Warabi Shrine, and was picked up by major Japanese media, Saitama
Nov
Exhibited original artworks in “Kawanabe Kyosai ni Miserarete Pt.II”, Kawanabe Kyosai Memorial Museum, Saitama
Dec
Published “Ichiren Takusho”, a photographic anthology book (limited to 1,000 copies)
“Ichiren Takusho”, HorirenⅠ the First’s 20th anniversary photo exhibition, Black Box, Osaka
“Ichiren Takusho”, HorirenⅠ the First’s , 20th anniversary photo exhibition, LeDeco, Tokyo
2019
Jan
Discharged from hospital after mastectomy (removal) surgery due to breast cancer
Mar
HorirenⅠ’s client and martial arts fighter, Sarah modeled her tattoos for LUSH
May
Created a votive painting mural at Warabi Shrine as an offering for the new Reiwa era, Saitama
Featured in “Huck” digital magazine, photography and text by Michael Magers
Accompanied photographer, Isabel Muñoz, to Amami Oshima, Kagoshima
Jun
HorirenⅠ’s tattoo work, worn by LUSH model, was featured in LUSH Shinjuku in-store video promotion materials, Tokyo
Aug
Produced a Reiwa Mikoshi (Japanese portable shrine for the Reiwa era) for the Toda Furasato Festival, Saitama
Sep
Live painting performance at the Independent Festival, Tokyo
Exhibited body painting at Yoko Ozuma’s Memorial exhibition, Tokyo
Featured on New Zealand news program, “Te Karere”
Oct
Featured on NHK television program [Ohayo Nippon] “Good Morning Japan”, Rugby World Cup intercultural discussion
Nov
Held a gathering of “Renyukai” (clients of HorirenⅠ), Saitama
Dec
Dedication of Ema (votive tablet painting) created by HorirenⅠ as an offering to Warabi Shrine, Saitama
2020
Mar
Suspended activities due to Government Declaration of State of Emergency in response to Covid-19
Jul
Resumed activities upon the State of Emergency Declaration Cancellation
Dec
Dedication of Ema (votive tablet painting) created by HorirenⅠ as an offering to Warabi Shrine, Saitama
Featured in a documentary which aired in Singapore
Featured in a GQ Japan video
Featured in Reuters news articles and videos
2021
Feb
Directed tattoo supervision and design for the movie “Under the Open Sky”, directed by Miwa Nishikawa
Apr
Exhibition of “Kyosai Plus 1, Series 35” – Coloring Kyosai’s Uchiwa Woodblock Prints, held at Kawanabe Kyosai Memorial Museum, Saitama
Jul
Ordained as a monk in the Shingon Buddhist Priesthood
Dec
Dedication of Ema (votive tablet painting) created by Horiren as an offering to Warabi Shrine, Saitama
2022
May
Exhibition of photographs of Horiren, the First’s tattoo work at London’s Coronet Theatre, UK
Jun
Exhibition of Horiren, the First’s client, as photographed by Chloe Jafe, featured as the main visual representation for the Fotografia Europea exhibition, entitled AN INVINCIBLE SUMMER, Italy
Featured in Irwin Wong’s book, “THE OBSESSED: OTAKU, TRIBES, AND SUBCULTURES OF JAPAN”
Aug
Presented a series of online lectures at “Dialogues for Peace” / “Dialogos para la paz” (Japan-Colombia peace conference) about the culture, history, and discrimination of tattoos and tattooing in Japan
Painted a mural for “Freedom@Oz” martial arts gym, Saitama
Sep
Collaborated in a body painting event with Ranki Kazami, original drawing by Horiren, the First, coloring by ACE COLOR Takuya Ogawa, MK Studio, Shinjuku
Body art event, “Tattooed Beauties”, exhibition of original paintings in commemoration of Ozuma, the painter, Osaka
Nov
Started sales of NFTs, 10 years of soul put into original sketches sold as NFTs
Dec
Dedication of Ema (votive tablet painting) created by Horiren as an offering to Warabi Shrine, Saitama