Category — Events

Katsuhiro Ootomo’s renown as an manga creator was sealed when, at the age of 28, he released Akira, a tour de force that would eventually become an 8-year journey, culminating in over 2000 pages of artwork and an animated film adaptation. This legendary illustrator and film director will be having an exhibition at 3331 Arts Chiyoda in April. Mark your calendars now! On display will be genga (literally, original pictures) – Japanese animation terminology for the key frames in animation. I went to a Ghibli genga exhibition in 1996 and it had a huge impact on me. The depth and color of the illustrations were simply breathtaking.

If you’re still not convinced you should go, perhaps this recent quote from Takashi Murakami will change your mind:

Ootomo Katsuhiro…One of the reasons I gave up on trying to become a manga illustrator is because I knew I had no chance against him.

You can download this awesome wallpaper HERE! (thx for the tip @aka_me)

——————————————————
Katsuhiro Ootomo Genga Exhibition
3331 Arts Chiyoda
2012.4.9 – 5.30.
adults 1,500 yen

All photos from installation view at ICN Gallery | all photos by Joe Keating

Miyamura establishes himself as a solo artist with a series of tranquil prints that harken back to the glorious days of the abstract expressionists

Calligraphy artist Gen Miyamura has been experimenting with Bokusho (墨象) – an avante-garde form of calligraphy that sprung out of post-war Japan – for quite some time now. The artist is perhaps better known for his collaborations with designers like Shun Kawakami (here and here), rather than for his standalone work. But in an exhibition that just opened at ICN Gallery in London, Miyamura breaks free from that mold, establishing himself as a solo artist with a series of tranquil prints that harken back to the glorious days of the abstract expressionists. I really adore the brush strokes and how they make us aware of the presence of the artist.

The exhibition at ICN Gallery runs through February 22, 2012.

the artist and his work

All photos from installation view at ICN Gallery | all photos by Joe Keating

click to enlarge | Roppongi Hills

If you couldn’t tell, I’m all into the lights this holiday season. My relatives that are still living in Tokyo told me about “all the pretty lights” that are on during this holiday season and I decided to do a little googleing. In my mind, parts of Tokyo could easily rival Paris as the “City of Lights.” I found the CHRISTMAS ILLUMINATION stage by Mori Building site that showcases all the decorating and light shows that the Roppongi Hills, Omotesando Hills, La Foret Harajuku, have to offer around Tokyo.

click to enlarge | Roppongi Hills

click to enlarge | La Foret

click to enlarge | Ark Hills

The Omotesando Hills display celebrates Walt Disney’s110 th birthday, along with many limited edition merchandise. The main street of Omotesando is also lined with thousands of lights this holiday season. All these places become hot spots for couples. More information on locations and times can be found at each locations website or by going to the Christmas Illumination site by Mori Building – most of the displays end on Christmas day.

Bonus: Video of the Venus Fort light show that is synchronized to music.

Source: CHRISTMAS ILLUMINATION stage by Mori Building

A new exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (MOT) aims at isolating and identifying how environmental and urban problems have given birth to to new lifestyles and forms of public space. Now in it’s 2nd year, “Architectural Environments for Tomorrow” was co-curated by SANAA and features 28 architects and artists from 14 countries. Below are some images of the exhibition, which is on display through January 15, 2012.

unless otherwise noted, all images courtesy jiku | Architectural model of Tetsuo Kondo‘s “Path in the Forest” (2011) which was completed in Estonia.

“The Morning Line” (2011) by Matthew Ritchie with Aranda\lasch and arup

“Rolex Learning Center” (2007) by SANAA

“Glass Bubble” (2011) by Junya Ishigami

One of the highlights of the show is “Contact Lens” (2011), a eye-catching installation in which artist Haruka Kojin uses numerous warped lenses to create a contorted environment.
Images courtesy designboom.

“(from) OURShELVES” (1999-2011) by  selgascano

“Golden Dome” (2011) by AMID.cero9

source: MOT | jiku | designboom

we’re be bringing you some of our favorite picks from DesignTide Tokyo, which ran from October 29 – November 3, 2011. Click here for all our stories on the exhibition.

images courtesy daisuke shimokawa | click to enlarge

Wrapping up our series on DesignTide Tokyo 2011, we bring you “toge” (とげ) – thorn or splinter in Japanese – a sea-urchin shaped module made from piano wire and epoxy that interlocks with each other to act like building blocks. It’s the work of Tokyo-based French architect Emmanuelle Moureaux, whose series of rainbow-colored banks won me over as a fan. It’s clear that Moureaux has a penchant for color, which is also apparent in her wedding dress made from 500 of these toge modules. The dress was on display at DesignTide Tokyo and demonstrated the infinite capabilities of these rainbow-colored sea-urchin.

Oh, and it’s quite appropriate that “toge” also means toga in French.

source: press release from Emmanuelle Moureaux

This week we’re be bringing you some of our favorite picks from DesignTide Tokyo, which is running from October 29 – November 3, 2011. Click here for all our stories on the exhibition.

images courtesy excite.ism | click to enlarge

I love these bookmarks that wrap over the binding and then drape across the book. It’s the undertaking of Cement Produce Design, a brand that produces and curates a hodge-podge of designy items from  iPhone cases and ceramic bowls to web design and advertisements. This is their first time they’re participating in DesignTide and they seem to be off to a good start!

This week we’re be bringing you some of our favorite picks from DesignTide Tokyo, which is running from October 29 – November 3, 2011. Click here for all our stories on the exhibition.

click images to enlarge

Naruse Inokuma Architects designed this beautiful table piece that functions both as a plate and a table. “One for all” was crafted from a single piece of wood, which was then given varying-sized dimples.  Just add food and you’ve got a serious conversation piece!

image courtesy japan-architects

unless otherwise noted, all images courtesy Naruse-Inokuma

This week we’ll be bringing you some of our favorite picks from DesignTide Tokyo, which is running from October 29 – November 3, 2011. Click here for all our stories on the exhibition.

images courtesy excite.ism | click to enlarge

It’s a table. No, wait, a bench. No, a floor. A roof. A jungle gym? Torafu Architects’ Gulliver Table is designed to be just that. Stretching 50 meters across the lawn of Tokyo Midtown, the table takes on various roles depending on where you approach it. You can lie down on it, sit on it and even play under it!

It’s part of Tokyo Midtown DESIGN TOUCH, an extension of DesignTide Tokyo, and is on display through November 6.

source: excite.ism

This week we’ll be bringing you some of our favorite picks from DesignTide Tokyo, which is running from October 29 – November 3, 2011. Click here for all our stories on the exhibition.

images courtesy Daito Manabe | click to enlarge

Daito Manabe and Motoi Ishibashi (both whom conveniently, for me, carry the same title: artist, designer and programmer) are presenting “16 forms,” an animated sequence that is both analogue and high-tech. Programming an industrial robot to create dynamic movements while projecting a light source, the duo created their own version of a zoetrope.

While conventional zoetropes make use of paper cut-outs, Manabe and Ishibashi opted for scanned and 3D-printed models, which were then affixed to a turntable.

Although the quality is pretty bad, here is an 18-sec clip to give you a sense of what they’ve done.

This week we’ll be bringing you some of our favorite picks from DesignTide Tokyo, which is running from October 29 – November 3, 2011. Click here for all our stories on the exhibition.

images courtesy Proof of Guild | click to enlarge

Founded by Minoru and Keiko Takeuchi in 2002, Proof of Guild is a jewelry and flower shop primarily focusing on weddings. But for the first time ever, the boutique has produced a series of vases titled “Hands & Hand,” which is on display at DesignTide Tokyo 2011. Not only are the curious vases reminiscent of hand-holding, but they were also crafted by hand.

There is indeed something magical about these conjoined vases. They remind me a lot of the organic work of ceramic artist Ryan Takaba.