I search with ropes

I discovered Shibari when I moved to Japan 7 years ago. Invited to what I thought would be a Kinbaku performance, I found myself in a small traditional house, unable to speak Japanese, clueless. Someone handed me a bunch of rope. He was Seiichi Kita, the Shibari master who would become my teacher in the upcoming years. When I touched the ropes for the first time, I knew it was the beginning of a journey I am still trying to understand today. Fascinated by hidden layers of reality since childhood, I studied philosophy and physics before becoming an AI engineer, yet it was within that foreign house that I felt the most intense call to explore the unknown.

In 2019 I started taking pictures of what I was doing. I opened an Instagram account and connected with many artists, both in Tokyo and internationally. I started performing in the underground art and techno scene, always combining ropes with other elements such as LED lights and new media. With my wife, AIAIDA, we founded a company and took many gigs doing installations and performances at festivals, galleries, and clubs. We called it "Hidden Layer". We threw a party to celebrate our launch, and it was a big and unexpected success. We started promoting events and collaborating with more and more artists. We created Unbound with our friend and knowledgeable dj SuperUser, supported by the talented and veteran musician Kojiro. 

In 2022 our daughter was born. We took the chance to do an international tour and performed and shot in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Vietnam, India…  At the beginning of 2023, we opened a studio in Omotesando, Tokyo, where our activity is now located. Life has been exhilarating. Now I am focused on discovering the mythical roots of the ropes in the ancient Japanese tradition of Shintoism; while I dedicate my life to sharing my passion with you.

Thank you very much for visiting my website,

Pablo Shibari