Kana Kitty
カナキティ
- ART EXHIBITION
Butohist. She began dancing without a teacher and established her own unique physical expression called 'Gal Shaman Buto,' which fused traditional shamanism with modern gyaru culture. Connecting sensory knowledge beyond the individual to the dance circuit, linking others and dimensions as "body = mediator." Presenting Butoh as an innovative, transcending genres and contexts. He has been invited to art festivals both in Japan and abroad, mainly in Europe, and has presented dance works around the world. In 2023, together with video artist Takeshi Taniguchi, he founded the creative production company 'Sharaku Town,' developing works that connect POP culture and Butoh, including the 'Tried Dancing with Butoh' series. In 2024, she will hold her 15th anniversary solo concert, 'Gal Shaman.' Through appearances such as the film 'Blue Period' (2024), the morning drama 'Anpan' (2025), and appearances in music videos for DIR EN GREY and Tatsuya Kitani, he explores new possibilities for Butoh in the modern era, crossing artistic and entertainment roles.
Profile image: Photo by Solène Balesta
Kana Kitty is a Tokyo-based Japanese Butoh artist and the creator of Gal Shaman Butoh, a contemporary practice that fuses ancient shamanic traditions with contemporary Japanese gyaru culture. After encountering Butoh while studying Fine Arts at Aoyama Gakuin Women’s Junior College, she began dancing independently with out a master, developing a distinctive artistic language rooted in ritual, transformation, and embodied perception.
Her work positions the body as a medium between visible and invisible worlds, where memory, perception, and embodied knowledge intersect through movement. Crossing the boundaries of contemporary art, performance, popular culture, and entertainment, she reimagines Butoh as an evolving practice capable of connecting different disciplines, audiences, and ways of knowing.
Kana has been invited to perform at international festivals across Europe and Asia, including FRESH WIND S Art Biennale (Iceland), Go.Elans Festival (France), and MUTEK Tokyo (2021, 2022), the internationally acclaimed festival of electronic music and digital art. In 2023, she co-founded the creative production Sharaku Town with filmmaker Takeru Taniguchi, launching the BUT OH × POPS series, which brings Butoh into dialogue with contemporary popular music. In December 2024, she presented her 15th-anniversary solo production Gal Shaman.
Her interdisciplinary practice also spans film, music, and fashion, with appearances in Blue Period (2024), NHK’s morning drama Anpan (2025), and music videos for DIR EN GREY and Tatsuya Kitani. Through these diverse collaborations, she continues expanding the possibilities of Butoh for contemporary audiences while bridging art, ritual, and popular culture.
Profile Credit：Photo by Solène Ballesta
https://www.kanakitty.com/
Profile image: Photo by Solène Balesta
Kana Kitty is a Tokyo-based Japanese Butoh artist and the creator of Gal Shaman Butoh, a contemporary practice that fuses ancient shamanic traditions with contemporary Japanese gyaru culture. After encountering Butoh while studying Fine Arts at Aoyama Gakuin Women’s Junior College, she began dancing independently with out a master, developing a distinctive artistic language rooted in ritual, transformation, and embodied perception.
Her work positions the body as a medium between visible and invisible worlds, where memory, perception, and embodied knowledge intersect through movement. Crossing the boundaries of contemporary art, performance, popular culture, and entertainment, she reimagines Butoh as an evolving practice capable of connecting different disciplines, audiences, and ways of knowing.
Kana has been invited to perform at international festivals across Europe and Asia, including FRESH WIND S Art Biennale (Iceland), Go.Elans Festival (France), and MUTEK Tokyo (2021, 2022), the internationally acclaimed festival of electronic music and digital art. In 2023, she co-founded the creative production Sharaku Town with filmmaker Takeru Taniguchi, launching the BUT OH × POPS series, which brings Butoh into dialogue with contemporary popular music. In December 2024, she presented her 15th-anniversary solo production Gal Shaman.
Her interdisciplinary practice also spans film, music, and fashion, with appearances in Blue Period (2024), NHK’s morning drama Anpan (2025), and music videos for DIR EN GREY and Tatsuya Kitani. Through these diverse collaborations, she continues expanding the possibilities of Butoh for contemporary audiences while bridging art, ritual, and popular culture.
Profile Credit：Photo by Solène Ballesta
https://www.kanakitty.com/
