The exhibition "Mina Perhonen / Minagawa Akira Tsuzuku," focusing on fashion and textile brand minä perhonen and designer Minagawa Akira, will be held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo in Kiyosumi Shirakawa, Tokyo, from November 16th to February 16th, 2020.


Mina Perhonen is a brand founded by designer Minagawa Akira. Based on the concept of "special everyday clothing" that is timeless and has universal value that can be worn for many years, minä perhonen has continued to create unique products from original fabrics while forging deep relationships with fabric producing regions across Japan.

It was in 1995 that Minagawa launched "mina," the predecessor to minä perhonen. Starting with fashion with the desire to "create a brand that would last at least 100 years," the brand's activities gradually expanded to all aspects of life, including interior design and tableware, and have now expanded beyond the realm of design into a field based on hospitality. The brand will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2020, during the exhibition period.

This exhibition, "minä perhonen / Minagawa Akira   Tsuzuku," will explore and introduce the ideas and activities of Minagawa and minä perhonen, which are based on designs that create value for both makers and users.

“pur”2018-19→AW photo: Mitsuo Okamoto
The exhibition's title, "Tsudzuku," literally refers to the brand's temporal continuity, but it also evokes the generative energy of things and people linking together to create something, such as connecting, linking, joining hands, and circulating. With the ambiguous word "Tsudzuku" as its keyword, the venue will exhibit not only products such as fabrics, clothing, interior design, and tableware, but also original design drawings, videos, printed materials, and Minagawa's illustrations, as well as other works and materials that shed light on the creative background.

A prototype of a new "inn" designed by architect Nakamura Yoshifumi and Minagawa will also be on display, as well as a video work created by contemporary artist Fujii Hikaru, capturing the world of minä perhonen. The exhibition will be organized by Tane Tsuyoshi, with graphic design by Kaoru Kasai.

During the exhibition, there will be a number of cross-talks between Minagawa and creators and artists active in various fields. For more information, please visit the special exhibition website (https://mina-tsuzuku.jp/).

“one day” Original illustration 2018-19→AW photo: sono (bean)
Advance tickets are on sale from October 1st. A limited number of "Postcard Set Advance Tickets" are also on sale, which include a set of three postcards (not for sale) featuring illustrations that Minagawa drew for the Asahi Shimbun column "Sunday Thoughts."

Why not visit "minä perhonen/Minagawa Akira Tsuzuku," which offers new perspectives and suggestions on our daily lives and the social structures that lie beyond.