Masaru Suzuki, a textile designer who designs for domestic and international manufacturers and brands, including his own brand, Ottaipnu, will be holding two exhibitions. "Masaru Suzuki's Golden Week - Umbrellas and Textiles - 2017," opening on April 29, marks the sixth annual exhibition, showcasing various textile designs on umbrellas, proposing "portable textiles" with the aim of bringing textile design closer to people's lives. Masaru Suzuki will be present daily throughout the exhibition, treating the space as a canvas for his designs. The ever-changing space, shaped by color and shape, offers a rare glimpse into the work that goes on in his studio. In addition to new umbrellas (¥13,000 each), the exhibition will also feature fabric prints and the Ottaipnu collection, which were unveiled in February. There will also be a workshop where visitors can create their own original Hasami ware and accessories using scraps. The second exhibition, "familiar ZOO by Masaru Suzuki," is a collaboration with familiar, a baby and children's clothing brand celebrating its 67th anniversary this year. Building on the brand's long-selling denim bags, Suzuki created 67 limited-edition designs, each representing the company's founding years. Each one-of-a-kind "familiar ZOO bag" is handcrafted by familiar's in-house artisans, from embroidery and appliqué to sewing. The designs feature 67 different animals, each with bold compositions and vibrant color schemes. The exhibition space is divided into zones reminiscent of a zoo, including rocky mountains, sandboxes, ponds, and sky, and each animal is displayed in its natural habitat. In addition, workshops for parents and children are planned. Masaru Suzuki was born in Chiba Prefecture in 1968. After graduating from the Department of Textile Design at Tama Art University, he worked at the Kuritsuji Hiroshi Design Studio. He went independent in 1995 and founded Unpiatto, Inc., in 2002. He founded the fabric brand Ottaipiinu in 2005, and in addition to his own brand, he has also worked on planning and designing for Marimekko, Camper, Uniqlo, and others.
[Exhibition Information]
"Masaru Suzuki's Golden Week -Umbrellas and Textiles-"
Dates: April 29th - May 7th
Venue: Lightbox Studio Aoyama
Address: 5-16-7 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Time: 11:00 - 20:00 (until 18:00 on the last day)
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"familiar ZOO by Masaru Suzuki"
Dates: May 10th - July 10th
Venue: "CUBiE", event space on the 1st floor of familiar Ginza Main Store
Address: Ginza 888 Building, 8-8-8 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Time: 11:00 - 19:30 (until 18:00 on the last day)