Katsu Sawada
Japanese|
Katsu is an artist who blends graffiti, hacking culture, and technological experimentation, first gaining attention through the New York City street art scene in the 1990s. Known for his disruptive approach, he helped introduce unconventional tools into graffiti practice, including modified fire extinguishers that make it possible to create oversized tags and marks across large surfaces. He also drew public interest through staged, pseudo-documentary videos showing daring tagging actions at heavily secured locations, such as the White House. Innovation is a defining thread in his work, with much of his practice focused on testing and reimagining emerging technologies for artistic purposes. More recently, he has engineered spray-painting drones — customized quadcopters fitted with aerosol systems — enabling the creation of abstract graffiti in hard-to-reach places. KATSU has indicated that he intends to share this technology openly, encouraging other artists to build, modify, and expand on the concept.