about

A young man smiling, leaning on a stone ledge and holding his head with one hand, at night in front of a stone building with windows.

I’m Akiyo. A photographer, filmmaker, and actor based in New York. I grew up in the Chicago suburbs, decided my mind needed more space, and went looking for it.

An existential crisis led me to become a Buddhist monk in Asia and, somehow inevitably, Taos, New Mexico. Eventually I landed in an acting class, everything clicked, and the path led to NYU, Off-Broadway, and roles in Mr. Robot and Power Book II: Ghost. There was also a cement mixer incident. An occupational hazard.

My directorial debut, Ondeh, premiered at The Angelika.

Photography is the through-line — I’ve carried a camera with me my whole life. Skateboarding taught me composition, monk-hood taught me patience, and acting taught me how to see people. I’m drawn to the quiet, unguarded moments where something true slips out.

Studio in West Bushwick.

I love my mom.

Thank you.