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Born in Kokura, North Kyushu in 1974, Yasumitsu Lee moved to Okinawa at the age of 27, charmed by the island’s nature, and began his painting career.
Lee decided to enter his first artwork for competition in the Nishiwaki Okanoyama Thumbhole Grand Prix Exhibition when he learned that artist Tadanori Yoko, who he greatly admired, would be one of the judges. Lee’s work ‘ Hawaiian Girl’ was selected as one of the winning entries for the show.
In 2015, after several years of living under the Okinawan sun, the island’s vivid colors began to be reflected in Lee’s works with his series entitled ‘Hana’ (flowers). These images of plants, flowers, and other island motifs eventually led to the forming of Lee’s textile brand Taion, which has a stylish shop on Ukishima Street in Naha, selling interior textiles and lifestyle goods.
Ulalaka is proud to feature the artworks of Eiten Oshiro and to promote him to an international audience.

You can visit Lee’s interior and lifestyle shop at the address below:
Taion Textile Arts
2-3-10 Matsuo, Naha, Okinawa
Tel: 098-914-1082
info@taion9.com

Bingata,a traditional Okinawan textile dyeing technique established in the 14th century, uses organic plant and mineral dyes and stencils to create colorful, detailed fabrics.
Contemporary bingata artist Yukinaga Chibana, who grew up in a bingata producing family, decided he wanted to give the craft a more modern spin, employing bingata techniques to produce modern artworks which marry bingata with various aspects of subculture.
Chibana’s mix of anime, pop art and graffiti styles with traditional bingata patterns and techniques, creates an exciting canvas of visual stimulation. Schoolgirls and tattooed vixens, dragons and other mythical creatures, rock and street symbolism all provide inspiration for the artist. The intricate, kaleidoscopic results are nothing short of breathtaking.
Ulalaka is proud to feature the artworks of Yukinaga Chibana and to promote him to an international audience.
 

If you would like to participate in a bingata workshop, or see more of the artist’s work, please visit his website or arrange a visit to the studio.
Bingata Laboratory Somesenka
3-16-7Kakazu, Ginowan, Okinawa 098-890-0560
someseka.com

Eiten Oshiro is Okinawa’s most famous and prolific pop artist. Indeed, you can find Eiten murals all over Naha and other parts of the island.With a style that embraces elements of graffiti and street art, the artist paints cityscapes, colorful plants and fauna with an almost Aboriginal feel.
Born into a large family, Eiten loved drawing from a young age. After graduating from art school in Osaka, the artist first focused on metalworks, before finding his niche as a painter. Often painting live on walls, canvas and models, the works are vibrant and flowing, as if the colors themselves refuse to dry. Paintings within paintings swirl around the viewer.
In addition to the murals around the city, Eiten’s work has been featured on multiple CD jackets and in shop interiors and magazines. He has exhibited internationally in New York,Hong Kong & London.
Ulalaka is proud to feature the artworks of Eiten Oshiro and to promote him to an international audience.