Natsumi Sato’s “peloringirl series,” featuring girls sticking out their tongues in vivid pop colors with a 90s feel, has become increasingly popular. On June 2, the artist opened a new solo exhibition at A.F GALLERY in Harajuku.

In addition to many of her past creations, visitors will also be able to see newly drawn works created especially for the exhibition, as well as works from the recently released NFT project City Pop TOKYO, for which Natsumi Sato acted as the character designer.

Sato is planning on holding exhibitions in Fukuoka and Osaka in the future.

From March 14 until April 23, 2023, Tokyo Midtown Hibiya will hold Hisashi Eguchi’s Tokyo Girlfriend illustration exhibition, set to show off the artist’s unique perspectives on people and cityscapes. The exhibition will feature new illustrations of the titular girlfriend standing in the streets of Hibiya drawn especially for this exhibition, as well as various other girlfriends both large and small.

GING NANG BOYZ Kimi to Boku no Dai 3ji Taisen-teki Renai Kakumei CD Jacket (2005)

A LONG VACATION – Eiichi Ohtaki 40th Tribute Illustration (2021) ©2023 Eguchi Hisashi

Hisashi Eguchi, a manga artist and illustrator, continues to convey the charm of the city and its people by vividly depicting Tokyo and the many unique happenings within. As Tokyo Midtown Hibiya celebrates its 5th anniversary along with many other nearby businesses, the Tokyo Girlfriend exhibition of illustrations by Hisashi Eguchi is being held to celebrate.

The exhibition will feature a new painting of the mysterious girlfriend standing in the streets of Hibiya, newly created for the Tokyo Midtown Hibiya exhibition. A number of original pieces using Pantone overlay, Eguchi’s favorite painting medium in the 80s and 90s, will also be on display for the first time.

During the exhibition period, guests can enjoy autograph sessions, live sketches in which Eguchi himself will draw a portrait of selected subject on the spot, and workshops where he will teach tips on how to be a better illustrator.

Don’t miss your chance to meet one of the greatest illustrators of the modern era!

©2023 Eguchi Hisashi

BAPE KIDS®︎ is celebrating its 16th anniversary with a wholesome new collaboration with illustrator Chocomoo! The artist has become popular around the world for his pop style, and this new collection is sure to have kids heading to school in style.

The new items are available for kids of all ages and include everything from T-shirts and sweatshirts to skirts and rompers.

The design also incorporates the classic APE HEAD from A BATHING APE®︎, the popular BABY MILO®︎ character, and Chocomoo’s heart character.

Chocomoo will participate in the special lookbook for this collaboration.

A triple collaboration with the popular zipper bag brand Pake®︎ is also underway. Some of the products will have special Pake®︎ packaging for a limited time.

The Chocomoo collaboration items will be available at authorized BAPE KIDS®︎ stores and the BAPE.COM web store starting December 17, 2022. 

VISIONS 2023 ILLUSTRATORS BOOK, the newest edition of the popular art book edited by pixiv, was released on October 4, 2022. Art fans know the pixiv website as a place to share artwork, manga, and more. 

The VISIONS book series began publication in 2020, and the total number of copies sold worldwide has surpassed 150,000. The latest 2023 issue features works by 170 creators, allowing readers a glimpse into the current state of illustration today.

The cover art was drawn by Mika Pikazo, a character designer for many popular titles including Fire Emblem Engage, the latest in Nintendo’s Fire Emblem series. Mika Pikazo has long been pursuing new forms of expression in digital art, including incorporating cubism. Digital art is often treated as something vastly different from traditional art such as paintings and sculptures, but the cover art of this book challenges this belief by blending digital and traditional art. Pikazo’s vivid colors and exquisite brushwork are a must-see.

In addition to providing the cover art, a 7,000-word special interview with Mika Pikazo delving into his thoughts and vision can be found in the new book, providing a detailed view of what the digital art scene will look like in 2023.

‘Rooms,’ Umishima Senbon’s first solo exhibition, is currently underway at the pixiv WAEN GALLERY by TWIN PLANET x pixiv until May 5, 2022!

Goods at a Glance

After working as a chief animation director and character designer, Umishima Senbon is now an illustrator and manga artist. This exhibition features approximately 70 illustrations on canvas to specifically highlight the artist’s characteristic use of soft colors and delicate brush strokes. Some of the works will be swapped out during the second half of the exhibition, allowing visitors to see even more images–110 in total! Certain pieces will be available for purchase exclusively at the venue on a first-come, first-served basis.

The online art exhibition for artists from the current era ‘Creator’s Show Up Gallery Online’ has announced the creation of a new original catalog, along with a contest to decide the best work from among the exhibitors’ booths.

The original catalog will include the works of all exhibitors of the online gallery. The cover features a key visual drawn by najuko. For those wanting to be included in the catalog, register as an exhibitor on the site, and then register for a booth. Sales will begin on January 20, 2021 for a limited time only. 

Contest Details

A new contest is being held under the theme of ‘the emergence of new talent.’ Winners can snag prizes regardless of fame or achievements prior, and the top prize is ¥100,000 and a YouTube thumbnail created by singer-songwriter John/TOOBOE. 

If you visit Japan, you’ll likely find yourself in a Village Vanguard shop eventually. The popular chain sells just about everything under the sun for low prices, from apparel and toys to books and DVDs. Until January 6, 2022, visitors to Village Vanguard Online can peruse a special Rilakkuma pop-up shop named ‘My Imaginary Rilakkuma.’ Most importantly, a super long Rilakkuma stuffed animal will only be available from this shop!

Big Long Huggable Plush (Rilakkuma/Kiiroitori)

Plushie Keychain (5 varieties)

Plushie (Korilakkuma/Kiiroitori)

Acrylic Stand (2 varieties)

Shopping Bag​

Rilakkuma is known for always being lazy, but can you imagine if he decided to actually work hard for a day? You might fall in love with him a little more. The acrylic stands read “You look beautiful today,” and “Let’s make today a wonderful day.” Will you be snagging any of these items? 

Selling over 110,000 copies to date, the ILLUSTRATION series shows off the current state of Japan’s art scene. Japanese artists are recognized around the world for their unique style, and 150 diverse pop-culture creators will be featured in ILLUSTRATION 2022, releasing on December 6, 2021. Compared with last year’s release, this tome will feature ninety percent new artists, keeping readers abreast of the state of contemporary illustration today. 

ILLUSTRATION 2022　(Standard Edition)

ILLUSTRATION 2022　(Special Edition)

The cover art was provided by Tsumi Cotoh, known for her work with popular music duo YOASOBI. The book was designed by up-and-coming designer Arima Tomoyuki. 

At the end of the book, readers can enjoy an interview with Sony Music Entertainment’s Yohei Yashiro, the man behind YOASOBI. PIEDPIPER, the general producer of Kamitsubaki Studio, also gave an interview. Tsumi Cotoh and Arima Tomoyuki also discuss the process of creating the book. 

ILLUSTRATION 2022 utilizes the newest artbook printing technology, ‘Brilliant Palette,’ to deliver the most high-quality color prints. A Special Edition featuring a unique cover will be sold in limited quantities, so try to grab one while you can!

Animator and Illustrator MAI YONEYAMA has been chosen to represent Japan at the START ART FAIR 2021. The exhibition will be held at the Saatchi Gallery in London, known as one of the most famous contemporary art galleries, with over 70 artists from 25 countries and galleries around the world expected to participate. MAI YONEYAMA will be presenting her work titled “00:00:00;00” (Sequence), a piece symbolizing her own life.

The artwork is one of the stand-out pieces of this year’s fair, having been recognized by Hermitage Museum curator Dimitti Ozerkov’s team and featured by START.art, a global curators collective.

A LOT, 2021

Es, 2021

Id, 2021

DISCOVER, 2021

silk moss, 2020

VISIONS, 2020

YONEYAMA started her career as an animator on the GAINAX, the anime company in charge of ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion.’ She is well known in the animation industry, having also worked for the anime production company Trigger: She was the animation director for ‘Kill la Kill’ and character designer for ‘Kiznaiver,’ before taking charge of the visual development for 2019 hit movie ‘Promare.’ She is also a well known illustrator, even producing artwork for the ‘Evangelion’ apparel brand ‘RADIO EVA.’ Not only did she produce the artwork for the Kanebo ‘KATE’ brand commercial featuring Ayanami Rei – She was also in charge of the direction and filming. 

YONEYAMA’s art career is in full swing, having held her first solo art exhibition “SHE” in 2019, followed by “EGO” in 2021. 

You can feel the emotion and movement in her works, boosted by her experiences as an animator. There is often influenced of Japan and Asia in her art, adding even more depth. 

“00: 00: 00: 00” (Sequence) is a collective piece formed of 16 works, with each individual piece flowing as one when put together. The word “sequence” is a term often used in the movie and animation industry to refer to a collection of scenes that can be combined to create one story. In regards to the title, YONEYAMA commented on the meaning of the title, saying “Sequences exist at any moment, for every person including myself. Each moment within that sequence is like it’s own piece of art.” Regarding the artwork concept, she said that “For me, drawing for animation reminds me of the preciousness of each single moment. I expand a single moment to create each frame, repeating this countless times. I love how each moment interacts with one another, creating a flow of moment when played back and forth, so I turned it into an art piece.

The word is based on 16 flowers and their meanings, with the drawing of a girl placed on top of each flower. You can see the technique and perspective learned from YONEYAMA’s experience in animation have been applied to each piece, conveying minute details such as breathing, emotions, outlook, and the space around the character, confirming the idea that “Animators are people who can create life.” As you follow the flowers using the language of flowers, the character leaves her innocence as a freesia, gradually changing into the embodiment of a lily, pure but dignified. Each eye-catching piece has been drawn one by one, perfectly capturing the flower meanings and conveying both cuteness and beauty. With all 16 pieces displayed together, the full artwork will impress any viewer.

“00:00:00:00” could be said to symbolize MAI YONEYAMA, and has attracted a huge amount of interest, even capturing the attention of Dimitri Ozerkov’s team.  Dimitri Ozerkov is a Russian art historian and curator who has been responsible for the contemporary art department of the Hermitage Museum since 2007.  He is a member of START.art, a group formed of curators from around the world, and is also in charge of the Hermitage 20/21 Contemporary Art Project, which collects and exhibits contemporary art in traditional museums around the world. As the curator for such a prestigious museum, the works collected by him to be displayed at the ‘START ART FAIR 2021’ are highly anticipated. 

Impressively, rather than being proud, the humble YONEYAMA is grateful to her predecessors for allowing her to get this far, but she has announced that her goal is “To move people’s hearts as herself.” 

Turning art into words, she communicates through her artwork, transcending time and language. 

Be sure to pay attention to what animator and illustrator MAI YONEYAMA does next!

©MAI YONEYAMA

In commemoration of 25 years since their debut, men’s fashion brand MK MICHEL KLEIN HOMME has teamed up with the illustrator Orita Kei to release a t-shirt collection.

Left: “WHITE” / Right: “Gokigen Ikaga” – ¥5,940 Each (Tax Included)

“monotone” – ¥5,940 (Tax Included)

Available at all MK homme stores in Japan since July 23, part of the proceeds of the tees will go towards developing an antibacterial kit using BIO SHIELD as part of the brand’s MIZICA PROJECT. The tees are made from 100% cotton, are unisex, and are create in a comfortable and relaxing size.

In celebration of their 10th anniversary, Taiwanese design gift site Pinkoi has launched a commemorative project, with pre-orders for a series of items open until July 25. The collection will release on July 26.

Pinkoi x Noritake Beer Glasses (Set of 3) | ¥8,930 (Tax Included)

Pinkoi x Noritake PVC Vinyl Bags | 3 Designs | ¥5,070 Each (Tax Included)

Pinkoi x Noritake Drip Coffee (10 Bags) | Flavours: Classic, Mandheling, Brazil | ¥3,440 Each (Tax Included)

Pinkoi x Noritake Folders | 3 Designs | ¥1,200 Each (Tax Included)

Pinkoi x Noritake iPhone 12 Smartphone Cases | 3 Designs | ¥4,460 Each (Tax Included)

Pinkoi Navy

Pinkoi Salmon

The first entry to the project invites Noritake on board, a popular Japanese illustrator, who is supervising the “Pinkoi x Noritake Limited Collaboration” and its capsule collection which features the theme “In The City.”  The collection is based on the three cities Tokyo, Taipei, and Hong Kong and features two of Pinkoi’s brand colours: Pinkoi Navy and Pinkoi Salmon, both created by Pantone.

In an interview on this collaboration, Noritake expressed his desire to love in a city filled with all kinds of gorgeous illustrations.