✦ Golden Grolla Award 2011

Cyril Takayama

Asia's street-magic phenomenon

Born in Hollywood to a Japanese-French family, Cyril Takayama grew up between two worlds and turned that double identity into one of the most original styles in modern magic. In the 2000s his television specials made him a superstar across Asia, especially in Japan, where entire seasons of programmes were built around his wanderings through cities, markets and restaurants, transforming everyday places into sets for the impossible.

Clips of his street magic became some of the most watched magic videos on the planet: the hamburger taken straight through the glass of a fast-food counter, the head that slides off in the middle of a crowd, watches, cards and objects that behave as if the laws of physics were negotiable. His style, cinematic, gentle and always centred on the spectators, showed a generation of performers that magic on camera could feel like a film and still be real.

Masters of Magic honoured Cyril with the Golden Grolla in 2011, recognising the artist who carried street magic to hundreds of millions of viewers across a whole continent.

Honoured by Masters of Magic among the legends who have shaped the history of magic.