Kawaii King Sebastian Masuda to Hold ‘COLORS FOR PEACE’ Charity Art Exhibition in New York City

26.July.2022 | FASHION / SPOT

Sebastian Masuda, known as the “father of kawaii,” moved to New York City in 2022 to be more active in the Big Apple while continuing his activities in Tokyo.

 

His first event since moving to the city will be the COLORS FOR PEACE charity art exhibition, which will be held at the Mizuma & Kips gallery on Manhattan’s Lower East Side from July 29 until July 31. A portion of all proceeds from the sale of artwork and donations collected will be donated to the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, a human rights organization supporting those whose lives have been impacted by war.

 

Masuda wanted people to think about peace, which is the theme for the COLORS FOR PEACE exhibition. The showing will feature artwork in four primary colors–blue, yellow, green, and pink.

 

Along with original paintings and lithographs, the exhibition will also feature a bed installation where guests can freely relax. Visitors will be able to think about the people whose peaceful daily lives are threatened by the ongoing war, and will be able to support them through art.

 

An opening reception for the event will be held on the evening of July 29, and reservations are open now. More information will be announced on Masuda’s social media accounts, including when the artist himself will appear.

 

 

Comment from Sebastian Masuda

“COLORS FOR PEACE is an event with a very straightforward theme, and that is for guests to think about peace. Close your eyes. Imagine it. Understand it. Understand how wonderful it is that you can sleep in your own bed at home tonight. We all know how comfortable it is to be able to sleep in our own bed, with our own sheets that have our own scent.

 

Through my activities over the years, I’ve come to realize that the ‘kawaii’ movement is one of the best ways to inspire peace. It helps us to understand each other, and the bright and vibrant colors make people happy, both in Japan and around the world. I hope that the COLORS FOR PEACE venue will be filled with many smiling faces and that it will transcend race, religion, age, gender, and all other borders.”

RELATED ENTRIES

  • Hikari Shibata to Open Photo Exhibition ‘THROUGH THE WINDOW’

    25.August.2023 | FASHION

    Model, DJ, and photographer Hikari Shibata will hold her first photo exhibition in five years, THROUGH THE WINDOW, at the FLOAT Gallery in Tokyo for four days starting September 8, 2023.

     

    The exhibition’s title was inspired by Shibata’s shyness, which has always led her to photograph landscapes rather than people. Many photos were taken through windows, and both the view and reflections are meaningful and personal to Shibata herself.

     

    This year’s exhibition features photos of daily life taken in Copenhagen, Denmark’s largest city, where Shibata stayed for a total of three weeks in March 2023. It will also feature photographs snapped in Berlin, Los Angeles, and New York City.

     

    Shibata will visit the gallery in person to present her creations. In addition to the sale of exhibited photographs, guests will also be able to purchase T-shirts, hats, and Shibata’s first photobook, the latter of which is available in limited quantities. The self-published 112-page hardcover book was entirely designed by Shibata herself. T-shirts will be available in two colors and feature the title of the exhibition, while hats will come in three colors with an embroidered graphic image of the sun reflected in a window.

  • Sebastian Masuda to Open Colorful New York City Sushi Restaurant SUSHIDELIC in June 2023

    21.June.2023 | MUSIC / SPOT

    Sebastian Masuda to open SUSHIDELIC, a new sushi restaurant in Soho, New York City. The location will open on June 28, 2023.

    “King of Kawaii” Sebastian Masuda, creator of Harajuku’s “KAWAII MONSTER CAFE,” loved by celebrities around the world, has created a new restaurant concept  in New York City

     Sebastian Masuda is a multi-disciplinary artist whose unique sense of color transcends the boundaries of art, fashion, and entertainment. His restaurant “KAWAII MONSTER CAFE” opened in Harajuku in August 2015 and quickly became a popular spot in Tokyo, frequented by celebrities from around the world, including BLACK PINK’s Jenny, Katy Perry, and Ariana Grande.   His next project will take place in New York City, where he is currently based. The restaurant will offer a completely new perspective on sushi, the most popular Japanese food in the U.S. and  an integral part of the American lifestyle.

    Enjoy an Immersive Kawaii Experience

    The new location is meant to be an “immersive Kawaii experience.” Once you step into the restaurant, you’ll find yourself in a psychedelic and one-of-a-kind space that will make you feel as if you’ve wandered into another world. Guest will be guided by employees clad in colorful custom-made costumes, and three rotating cats will be suspended by the ceiling, rotating to reveal a secret image. Guests sitting at the counter will enjoy a pink custom-made conveyor belt, a.k.a a sushi lane.The restaurant will offer artist Sebastian Masuda “Immersive Kawaii Experiences” that go beyond THE DINING EXPERIENCE.

    Featuring a Menu Developed by Japanese Chefs and Supported by AUTEC, Inc.

    Chef Hiroki Abe and Sebastian Masuda collaborated to create an unforgettable menu, fully supported by AUTEC. After moving to the United States in 2001, Abe worked as an executive chef at EN Japanese Brasserie in NYC. He now works as a private chef at corporate events and parties around the U.S. On the technical side, AUTEC, which boasts the number one share of the automatic sushi machine market in North America, is backing up the venture. The sushi is sure to be as tasty as it is kawaii!

    Featuring Restaurant Music by RAM RIDER, the Music Producer Behind the Score at KMC

    The in-store background music is essential when cultivating an immersive experience. Music producer RAM RIDER, who created the music for KAWAII MONSTER CAFE, has written an incredible 70-minute ambient track for SUSHIDELIC. Guests can look forward to losing themselves in the adorable ambiance.  

    Tons of New Yorkers Visit During Pre-Opening, SUSHIDELIC Trends on Social Media

    During SUSHIDELIC’s limited pre-opening, scores of New York-based celebrities and influencers visited the shop. The unparalleled ambiance, food presentation, and experience have quickly become a hot topic on social media!
     

    Opening in SoHo, the Trendiest Neighborhood in New York City

    SUSHIDELIC is scheduled to open at 177 Lafayette St. in the heart of the SoHo area, where the latest fashions and trends are born and where many fashion brands have opened their flagship stores.

    We will keep you updated with the latest information as it becomes available. Please look forward to the chemistry between “Sushi” and “Kawaii,” two of Japan’s proudest exports.

    Sebastian Masuda

  • teamLab Forest Fukuoka to Introduce Spring Sakura Theme for a Limited Time

    07.March.2023 | SPOT

    Starting March 4, the permanent museum teamLab Forest Fukuoka will transform its artwork into a stunning spring theme. Guests will be able to enjoy gorgeous cherry blossoms for a limited time, and starting March 24, the Catching and Collecting Forest will also be transformed in the same way.

     

    TeamLab’s works are created in real time by procedural generation, meaning that they are always changing and evolving. Each work changes depending on the season.

    ▼Starting March 4

    Both Shifting Valley, Living Creatures of Flowers, Symbiotic Lives – A Whole Year per Year and Animals of Flowers, Symbiotic Lives II – A Whole Year per Year are only available to see during spring. Come and see animals made entirely of cherry blossoms as they roam through the museum!

    The work titled Soft Terrain in Granular Topography shows multicolored grains of light pouring from the sky, while Flutter of Butterflies, Ephemeral Life surrounds visitors with brightly colored butterflies

     

    ▼Starting March 24

    In the Catching and Collecting Forest, visitors can explore with their smartphones and catch various animals made entirely of cherry blossoms.

  • Matsuzakaya Nagoya to Host Exhibition Honoring Mobile Suit Gundam Animator Kazuhiro Ochi

    25.February.2023 | ANIME&GAME / SPOT

    ©永井豪/ダイナミック企画 ©ダイナミック企画・東映アニメーション ©ダイナミック企画 ©東映アニメーション ©松本零士/零時社・東映アニメーション

     

    From March 21 until April 5, 2023, Matsuzakaya Nagoya will host The World of Super Robot & Hero: Kazuhiro Ochi Art Exhibition, celebrating the creator’s 45th anniversary as an artist. Ochi is well-known for his work on Mobile Suit Gundam and dozens of other popular anime series, from Martian Successor Nadesico to Urusei Yatsura.

     

    Ochi has personally selected over 100 items to be put on display at the exhibition, including illustrations from Mazinger Z and Devilman, both of which are celebrating their 50th anniversaries. Fans can also expect to see illustrations from the newly-announced UFO Robot Grendizer project along with original sketches, promotional materials, and much more.

    Available merchandise will include an art book signed by Kazuhiro Ochi himself, prints, and character goods. New Cutie Honey and Cosmic Fantasy products will also be available for purchase.

     

    The animator himself will also be in attendance on select days, so don’t miss this rare opportunity to meet an anime legend!

    Guests spending over ¥5,000 (including tax) at the exhibition during days in which Ochi is in attendance will receive an autographed illustration card only available at the Nagoya venue.

     

    Exhibition Merch at a Glance

     

    ©Go Nagai/Dynamic Planning Illustration by K.Ochi

     ©KAZUHIRO OCHI

     

    イラスト/越智一裕 ©永井豪/ダイナミック企画

  • Hisashi Eguchi’s Illustration Exhibition “Tokyo Girlfriend” Coming to Tokyo Midtown Hibiya, New Works to be Exhibited for the First Time

    08.February.2023 | SPOT

    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
  • CreepHyp to Bring 10th Anniversary Exhibition to Nagoya PARCO

    24.January.2023 | MUSIC / SPOT

    From February 11 to February 26, an exhibition inspired by the popular rock band CreepHyp will be held at the PARCO GALLERY on the 6th floor of the Nagoya PARCO West Building. The event is being held to celebrate the 10th anniversary of CreepHyp.   The exhibition is themed around a ‘Museum of Voices.’

    A person’s voice is said to be a true expression of their personality. This exhibition will give fans a new sense of what CreepHyp is and will feature their music, their MC content, and various radio appearances.

    Visitors will be able to listen to the member’s voices, but they’ll also be able to step on them, dive into them, look at them, and experience plenty of other ways to enjoy the band’s content. Completely immersed in this world of voices, this experience promises to be like no other. Come experience it while you can!

    The exhibition was largely created by CHOCOLATE, the creative team behind CreepHyp’s past exhibitions. Exclusive merchandise will also be available on-site.