Tomoki Uematsu 上松　智樹 is one of Tokyo's hottest graphic artists in the field today, currently launching his own creative firm called JOKER ID. Graduating from Parsons School of Design in 1997, he went on to become a freelance artist with several leading design offices, followed by a position as Art Director for the top design firm Wieden & Kennedy. Over the past decade, Uematsu has built a portfolio which includes a wide variety of campaigns, ranging from Nike athletics, Suntory beverages, Google and more. Needless to say, we were very fortunate to have Uematsu's professional help with our very own Rising Suns project logo, when we kicked things off last year. And more than just a logo, he kindly volunteered to provide art direction on all web and print media for our 日本代表　team's groundbreaking trip to Paris.    

With a list of awards from various festivals and competitions, including The International Advertising Festival-Cannes, ADC Tokyo Art Directors Club, TCC Tokyo Copywriters Club, and Japan's media giant -- Dentsu, Tomoki Uematsu has a true knack for impact. (As proof, look at the heads we turned in Paris, just with our team logo alone!). For a closer look at all his recent work, you can visit Uematsu's online portfolio here.

As we continue to grow our Hope 81 campaigns with the world's leading athletes, artists and activists, we hope to keep in touch and continue this amazing collaboration with Tomoki/JOKER ID. The opportunity to showcase the work of Tokyo's design industry leaders -- sharing that authentic Japanese style and creativity with the world through our grassroots projects -- is a great source of inspiration for all of us at Hope 81. Stay tuned to see more creative genius from The Joker soon!