Kakuchi was born in 1984 in Tokyo, Japan. She spent her early years in Japan before moving to the United States with her family. Growing up in a multicultural environment, Kakuchi developed a strong interest in art and began painting at a young age. She pursued her passion for art at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting.
Thematically, Kakuchi’s work resides in a space that could be called the “tender grotesque.” Her figures—often limbless, eyeless, or composed of disparate parts—are not frightening but vulnerable. They evoke the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, the spirit creatures of Shinto folklore ( yokai ), and the surrealist uncanny of Leonora Carrington. kiki kakuchi
Kakuchi has cited several influences on her music, including enka legends such as Saburō Kitajima and Hibari Misora. She has also been inspired by Western music, particularly jazz and blues, which she incorporates into her performances. Kakuchi was born in 1984 in Tokyo, Japan