For Chris Pyrate, the seeds for breaking into Japan’s art scene were sown from the beginning

The streets of Tokyo are made up of a unique palette. Not just in regards to color, but aesthetics, and a stroll through the city’s backstreets presents a diverse roster of visuals. In Tokyo, foreboding, brutalist concrete often envelops traditional Shinto shrines, and contemporary structures with elegant, muted colors are accented by the bright motifs of staple convenience stores. There’s a sense of whiplash that comes from this discrepancy, but this unruliness is the core charm of the Tokyo cityscape.

The art of visual artist Chris Pyrate operates in much of the same way, where bold and dynamic line work flows over gentle pastel colors. These contrasting elements culminate in artwork that features motifs of cascading flowers and other eclectic iconography, representative of many Tokyo contemporary art aesthetics, and his work has been making waves in the city as of recent.

If one were to say that Pyrate’s work was developed and honed within Tokyo, the statement would likely go unchallenged. However, the crucible of Chris Pyrate’s art journey is Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States of America and Pyrate’s hometown. He wears such roots on his sleeve with great pride, but interestingly enough, these exact roots were destined to spread out and find a home in Tokyo way before anyone could realize it.

“Live mural painting is a very selfless process, as you have no control over the art once it’s completed.”

— Chris Pyrate

Creative Callings

The moniker of “artist” was one Pyrate identified with early on, with his family and mother in particular acknowledging his artistic works and tendencies starting from the age of five. “Early on, I recognized being an artist as being a type of person and not a professional marker,” he says, but at the age of 19, he would go on to make it his career.

Pyrate describes his artstyle as “energetically tranquil.” Floral motifs are highly detailed and condensed with strong linework, but complimented with pale yet uplifting pastel tones. "I created this style when trying to find a balance between detailed, harsh linework and colors that contrast that. Masculine and feminine. Dense but calm.”

It’s worth nothing that Pyrate is colorblind, a condition that has its obvious obstacles when creating visual art, but it’s this exact hurdle that may have resulted in the optimization of his work. Pyrate works in a way that applies meticulous care and calculation of chosen shades to complex and bold aesthetics, resulting in a sort of “controlled chaos.” In all facets, he has embraced contrasting frequencies to generate harmony.

chris pyrate tokyo shop — © Joshua R. Mueda

His mural work is among his best-known calling cards, both stumbled upon and sought out for like a scavenger hunt for his most dedicated of followers. “Live mural painting is a very selfless process, as you have no control over the art once it’s completed. It’s left to the public to preserve, deface, protect or whatever they choose,” he says in regards to the medium he is likely best known for. “... I actually came to love the act of sharing ownership with a piece of art with the community it exists in. I love to allow people to see it be made because they tend to take ownership of it because they have a memory attached to the art. A story to tell.”

Mural and street art culture were things he largely studied and procured after making the move from D.C. to New York City. During the winter, Pyrate largely operates out of Miami, a city he described as “creating a future art history,” with the likes of Art Basel, Wynwood, and Design District well-establishing the creative scene.

Pyrate has gone on to do collaborative work with his hometown NBA team of the Washington Wizards, who actually participated in an international game in Japan against the Golden State Warriors. The visuals for this international campaign were largely worked on by Pyrate, with cherry blossom visuals being a central theme focusing on the history between the two locations. He has also worked with venerable streetwear labels such as X-Large. In recent years, he founded the aforementioned namesake brand of “Chris Pyrate,” his foray into streetwear that serves as an extension and canvas for his artwork.

Sowing the Seeds

From September 13th to October 13th, 2024, “Cherry Blossoms Regifted: from D.C. to Japan” was presented to the inner-city Tokyo masses at the long-lauded Street Dreams art gallery in Shibuya, and as reflected by the exhibition's title, it provided a visual representation of the long mutual influence of two cultures on opposite sides of the globe. For the exhibition’s main promotional pieces, the iconic motif of Hokusai’s “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” was reinterpreted in Pyrate’s signature pastel coloration and whimsical interpretations of flowers and koifish that are synonymous with the archipelago—a fun and contemporary blending of aesthetics oceans and fields apart.

Back in 1912, Japan gifted the city of Washington, D.C. with 3,020 cherry trees native to the island nation. The blooming phenomenon of springtime “sakura” in Japan became equally synonymous with the U.S. capital, and with Pyrate being a born-and-raised D.C. native, the spirit of that exchange continues to find life in his projects.

"The exhibit was inspired by my hometown’s connection to Japan, the cherry blossom, the sakura trees... I grew up with them being very normal and pretty native feeling,“ he comments in reference to D.C.’s long-time, almost ingrained connection to Japan. Even before he knew it, Japanese aesthetics had influenced the way Pyrate had interacted with art, and growing up right at the precipice of the popularization of Japanese media in the west, the deep dive was only inevitable.

“...growing up in the generation that was introduced to the first mainstream wave of Japanese animation, from Dragon Ball to Akira to Sailer Moon to Gundam. It subconsciously had an effect on me. I’ve been around this culture without trying to be since I can remember.”

chris pyrate tokyo store — Chris Pyrate│© Joshua R. Mueda

The stepping stones for the movement had also been well-set by Pyrate’s forerunners from the D.M.V. (an acronym referring to the greater D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area in the United States). The iconic Pharrell Williams, renowned and influential music producer and founding member of hip-hop outfits The Naptunes and N.E.R.D., had helped popularize Japanese streetwear in the west in the early 2000s. Despite not being a Tokyo native, his name is synonymous with the Ura-Hara icons like Hiroshi Fujiwara and, of course, NIGO of A Bathing Ape fame. There were footsteps to follow and an outline to study, and to be influenced by prominent Japanese art and streetwear figures was something Pyrate would also partake in.

Despite these long-term connections, Pyrate didn’t find himself in Japan for the first time until the summer of 2023, a trip with a non-work focus but one that would kick start the next steps. “... my work is always referred to as being something that would be appreciated in Asia and Tokyo, to be specific. The thought was that I expected my art to bring me to Japan eventually, but I wanted to experience it with no strings attached.” The following year, in 2024, Pyrate would return to Japan and present his work at the exhibit hosted at Street Dreams, a part of his greater Asia tour that went to Hong Kong as well.

The Culture Crop

During the exhibition period, Pyrate recalls passing a random storefront in the Harajuku area. Four total stories with large glass panels making up its front facade. At this time, the ideas of how to use the space were starting to swirl through his head, but for a bit, they were just ideas.

“I was really inspired by the location and had just randomly taken a picture of the for rent sign. No plan intact, just pure imagination-based purposes: ‘What would I do with a space like this here in Harajuku?’ Little did I know in a few weeks this picture of a “For Rent” sign would take shape into a Chris Pyrate storefront weeks later.” Within a short time span, the mad dash to maintain an artistic presence beyond the initial exhibit began, and it resulted in one of the most distinct storefronts in all of Harajuku. The shop’s official grand opening took place in December of 2024, a major way to close out an already big year, and spanned up until February of 2025.

The shop operated as a gallery of Pyrate’s work as much as a retail space, with hand-painted murals and thematic furnishings all around. T-shirts and hoodies adorned with signature floral prints can be found in many variations, some with prominent all-over designs and others using more negative space to contrast and frame splashes of color. The signature sneaker collection features a chunky silhouette with maximalist elements of sprouting flowers and Pyrate’s name in stylized script. They work as an eye-catching piece of art on display in the shop just as much as statement pieces for an outfit. Not just limited to apparel, fun plushies brought the flower motifs to life.

Off the heels of the pop-up shop, Pyrate moved his work to the Naka-Meguro neighborhood, another bastion for culture within Tokyo. Instead of an exhibition gallery or dedicated storefront, however, the industrial architecture of the Swell Coffee Roaster’s storefront serves as the new backdrop for much of the work that was found at the pop-up. However, a few new works can be found on the shop’s walls, two featuring a recurring motif of maneko neko (lucky cats). 10 years ago, Pyrate put up his first mural in Washington, D.C. that featured this maneki neko design. To have it now on display within the country of the design’s origin is poetically appropriate for the work a decade later.

On the adjacent wall, an animation video with Pyrate’s art direction loops, featuring flowing sakura iconography and a large mech, a dedication to Japanese media. This video is the precursor to an upcoming animation production that Pyrate is working on with a studio back in the United States.

Other than artwork, products from Pyrate’s brand are available for sale along with a signature “Sakura Soda” drink that is served in a special cup with Pyrate’s artwork.

The pop-up began on March 14th, 2025 and is slated to go to April 13th, 2025. Details on the location of Swell Coffee Roasters can be found below:

〒153-0051 Tokyo, Meguro City, Kamimeguro, 1 Chome−11−1 OAKBLDGⅡ

Open from 9AM-9PM on weekdays
Open from 9AM-11PM on weekends

Cashless payments only

Future Flowers

It’s safe to say that Pyrate’s tenure in Japan stands as a notable chapter in his art career. Throughout the initial gallery exhibit, the Harajuku pop-up shop, the Swell Coffee Roasters collaboration, and the rest of his goings-ons in Tokyo during that time, the theme was “D.C. to Japan,” an essential emphasis on conjoined cultures from opposite sides of the globe.

However, Pyrate’s Japan discovery and journey are still in their building phases. “Regarding Japan, I’ve still only explored Tokyo so far... I like to explore one city at a time, and Tokyo is a lot to explore.” Beyond his own work, the charms of Tokyo’s many streets serve as worthwhile captivations for Pyrate, citing character-filled neighborhoods like Nakano and Koenji as ones he’s fans of.

“When it comes to creating in Japan specifically, I look forward to being able to world-build on a level that isn't standard in the U.S.,” Pyrate remarks in regards to how he looks to expand his work and brand within Japan in the future. “I love the understanding, emphasis and appreciation for characters in Tokyo. I feel like characters bridge and intersect a lot of mediums in Japan. I look forward to world-building in Japan and bringing those worlds back to the U.S.” Aesthetics of Pyrate’s likings have their followings throughout Japan, and with the rich nature that envelops the archipelago, blank canvases await throughout the country.

The community in the process of development on the ground in Japan is also a resource, with a hearty roster of in-the-works and potential collaborators, with some already in the pipeline. Many of the entities that Pyrate has worked with in the past also have Japanese divisions that have large potential, such as X-Large and Atmos, tailor-made for the streetwear-obsessed Harajuku and Koenji streets.

Of major note, Pyrate is working on a manga and animation detailing the lore of the Chris Pyrate brand that is slated to release later this year, a perfect medium for Pyrate’s artistry. Not too many details are available yet on the production, but more information will come out through Pyrate’s social media platforms.

The Big Picture

With a retrospective look at Pyrate’s art journey, the thread of Japanese influence can be found looped into the DNA right from the beginning and beyond. Both following in the footsteps of his D.M.V. predecessors and making his own colorful splash in the Tokyo art scene, Chris Pyrate’s name is one that already carries resonance on the lauded Tokyo creative stage.

The cherry trees of Washington, D.C., have long served as a symbol of cross-cultural connection between the U.S. and Japan, and over a century later their meaning has taken on a new shape and form, reinterpreted by a new generation. Pyrate’’s presence and efforts in Japan represent a medley of influences that connect and epitomize the international state of modern art culture, one that is often so deep-rooted that its greater meanings are only realized when the entire mural is finished and up in the wall for viewing.

“I’ve been around this culture without trying to be since I can remember... I was distant from Japan but surrounded by things that I didn’t even know were Japanese for a long time.” Whether he knew it or not, the seeds were sown from the beginning, and the flowers of Chris Pyrate’s work in Japan have only begun to bloom.