Hip Hop culture would not have grown into what it is today without the art of graffiti. Shiro One expanded on the idea of growth when she began her graffiti career. Shiro One has fought through adversity, emphasizing that gaining respect was something she had to earn. Attending two Trinity Hip Hop Festivals in 2019 and 2022, Shiro has created work that challenges what a graffiti writer looks like along with how writers express themselves artistically, and that is what she accomplished and showed in her attendance.
It’s the same thing. You’re fighting to be taken seriously.
Shiro One – The Lily Interview
Akiko ”Shiro One” Miyakami grew up in Shizuoka, Japan, where she worked as a nurse but was always drawn to the graffiti world. Her career, initially, was rather shaky, ranging from her mother unimpressed by the idea of her daughter being a graffiti artist, to Shiro being threatened with weapons over where she was writing. Although she was forced to give up her spray cans in this altercation, this did not stop her from continuing to create art that she was passionate about.
16th Trinity International Hip Hop Festival, 2022
I forget about gender when I’m painting. It’s irrelevant.
Shiro One – Street Art NYC Interview
Shiro One’s tag “Mimi” has developed into more of a graffiti icon and is depicted in almost all of Shiro’s art pieces. She often talks about the importance of encouraging women into creating and being acknowledged for their achievements, and Mimi was the perfect poster-woman for that task. Her main goal is to inspire young women to use their own creative ability, emphasizing that you don’t have to look or express yourself in a certain way to create art. She has made countless efforts in subtly showing this in her famous work around New York and there is evidently a deeper meaning in all of her work.
Shiro has recently moved into a more commercial area by working for companies like GAP and the NBA. She has done streetwork, work in museums and restaurants and created her own fashion line. Shiro also does her own workshops, where kids can come in and create graffiti of their own. She also created her own brand out of her tag and used it to land major commercial jobs and be recognized outside of just the graffiti community.
Shiro continued this same energy at the Hip Hop festivals where she produced murals in Hartford and on campus and facilitated a workshop. She was seen both years doing graffiti murals in Hartford and also competing in a graffiti exhibition as well. Being the only Japanese representative, she worked with artists representing Brazil, India and the United States. She was able to create her art and share it with the community, along with sharing her skills, techniques, and motives that all go into her art work.
