about

Akemi Tsutsui-Kunitake is a multidisciplinary artist based in Denver, Colorado. She is most well-known for her fude brush 筆 ink illustrations in which she uses a single traditional Japanese brush. Her imagery blends themes of Japanese folklore with Western mysticism, inspired by the intersectionality of cultural tradition, ancestral wisdom and modern identity. She is a frequent collaborator with the Japanese Arts Network as a Cultural Consultant and artistic partner. Akemi is also a teacher at Ritualcravt School where she hosts classes on Japanese folk magic and traditions. On occasion, she is open to freelance modeling and enka performances.

KARATE

Akemi is a lifelong student of Shotokan karate-do under the instruction of her father, Isao Gary Tsutsui, at Colorado Budokan where she teaches and trains. Akemi has also been fortunate to train with masters of other karate styles in California, Hawaii and Japan. She is a three-time USA Karate Team Pool member and was a member of the 2021 USA Karate Team as a women’s kata athlete. She has competed abroad at Karate 1 Series A events in Montreal, Canada and Santiago, Chile. In 2022, she was a National coach for AAU Karate at the WUKF World Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. As karate embodies so many elements that are integral to the Japanese American experience, she describes karate as her ethnic and spiritual identity in motion.