Iwataya Main Store, a department store in Fukuoka, will host the art event "LIFE WITH ART" from September 13th to 18th. This is the fourth time the event has been held, focusing on contemporary art since 2022. In addition to the three existing venues on the 1st, 2nd, and 7th floors of the Main Building, the event will be expanded to seven venues, including promotional spaces on the 3rd floor of the Main Building and the 1st to 3rd floors of the Annex.
Keeenue/Courtesy of IWATAYA
Each booth will be produced by a gallery or curator, and a variety of artists will exhibit. The visuals for this exhibition were created by artist Keeenue and will adorn the Iwataya Main Store in the window displays, entrances, connecting corridors, elevators, escalators and more.
JONONE/Courtesy of IWATAYA
During the exhibition, there will also be events where you can enjoy live painting by artists WOK22, Saki Morinaga and witness, as well as enjoying art while sipping coffee at cafe manucoffee.
Hogalee/Courtesy of IWATAYA
The concept is, "Like music, art is something close to people, appealing to the viewer's sensibilities and enriching the soul. The messages contained in the works provide inspiration for thought, and experiencing the artist's temperament and personality gives you energy for tomorrow. Encountering art that resonates with you can even change your values and way of life." Unlike the market-driven contemporary art-focused offerings found in typical department stores, the gallery is packed with the thoughts of the artists, the gallery, and ourselves, allowing visitors to engage with the essence of the works. We have created an environment where you can casually enjoy art over a cup of coffee.
AUTOMOAI/Courtesy of IWATAYA
■CONTENTS
Main Building 7F Large exhibition stage
“Energy” by JONONE
“anonymous” by AUTOMOAI
“Magical Destroyers” by JUN INAGAWA
“EVERYDAY” by Seiji Matsumoto
“Trine” by Hogalee
A2Z™ × BODYSONG.
THE FACTORY
Main Building 3F Promotion space
BLANS EXHIBITION - BAKIBAKI -
BAKIBAKI/Courtesy of IWATAYA
Main Building 2F Gallery CONTAINER
JOINT EXHIBITION - Saki Morinaga × witness × WOK22 - “Gift”
witness/Courtesy of IWATAYA
Main Building 1F KIRAMEKIBOARD
A2Z™ SOLO EXHIBITION “Pineal”
A2Z™/Courtesy of IWATAYA
New Building 3F Promotion Space
BLANS EXHIBITION - sota -
sota/Courtesy of IWATAYA
New Building 2F Promotion space
BLANS EXHIBITION - LANP -
LANP/Courtesy of IWATAYA
New Building 1F Promotion space
Keeenue
Keeenue/Courtesy of IWATAYA
■Participating artists
Keeenue / AUTOMOAI / A2Z™ / BAKIBAKI / Hogalee / JUN INAGAWA / JONONE / LANP / Saki Morinaga / Seiji Matsumoto / sota / WOK22 / Wataru/ Komachi / witness and more
■EVENT
・LIVE PAINT by WOK22
Date: 2023.9.14 thu. PAINT by witness Date: Friday, September 15th & Saturday, September 16th, 2023
Venue: Gallery CONTAINER, 2nd Floor, Main Building
Keeenue/Courtesy of IWATAYAEach booth will be produced by a gallery or curator, and a variety of artists will exhibit. The visuals for this exhibition were created by artist Keeenue and will adorn the Iwataya Main Store in the window displays, entrances, connecting corridors, elevators, escalators and more.
JONONE/Courtesy of IWATAYADuring the exhibition, there will also be events where you can enjoy live painting by artists WOK22, Saki Morinaga and witness, as well as enjoying art while sipping coffee at cafe manucoffee.
Hogalee/Courtesy of IWATAYAThe concept is, "Like music, art is something close to people, appealing to the viewer's sensibilities and enriching the soul. The messages contained in the works provide inspiration for thought, and experiencing the artist's temperament and personality gives you energy for tomorrow. Encountering art that resonates with you can even change your values and way of life." Unlike the market-driven contemporary art-focused offerings found in typical department stores, the gallery is packed with the thoughts of the artists, the gallery, and ourselves, allowing visitors to engage with the essence of the works. We have created an environment where you can casually enjoy art over a cup of coffee.
AUTOMOAI/Courtesy of IWATAYA■CONTENTS
Main Building 7F Large exhibition stage
“Energy” by JONONE
“anonymous” by AUTOMOAI
“Magical Destroyers” by JUN INAGAWA
“EVERYDAY” by Seiji Matsumoto
“Trine” by Hogalee
A2Z™ × BODYSONG.
THE FACTORY
Main Building 3F Promotion space
BLANS EXHIBITION - BAKIBAKI -
BAKIBAKI/Courtesy of IWATAYABAKIBAKI
Born in Osaka in 1978. His signature "BAKI pattern" is inspired by the repetitive futuristic and mechanical shapes found in Japanese manga and anime from the 1990s and later. Over the course of 20 years, the symbolic patterns have developed into a strong affinity with traditional Japanese patterns and family crests, and continue to be adapted into various media. While rooted in live painting activities in club culture, the artist has since branched out into interior murals, and is now primarily focused on large-scale exterior murals and public art. Recent major projects include the Tainan Art Museum mural (2016) and the Osaka International Airport mural (2018). He has also actively participated in overseas mural projects, including POW!WOW!TAIWAN (2015), POW!WOW!HAWAII (2018), The Wallriors, Kaohsiung (2019), Varanasi Art Project (2019), and DUK festival, Serbia (2023). In 2021, he launched the mural project "Yodo Kabe," centered around Juso, Osaka. This project contributes to expanding awareness of mural culture in Japan and revitalizing the region ahead of the 2025 Osaka World Expo.
Born in Osaka in 1978. His signature "BAKI pattern" is inspired by the repetitive futuristic and mechanical shapes found in Japanese manga and anime from the 1990s and later. Over the course of 20 years, the symbolic patterns have developed into a strong affinity with traditional Japanese patterns and family crests, and continue to be adapted into various media. While rooted in live painting activities in club culture, the artist has since branched out into interior murals, and is now primarily focused on large-scale exterior murals and public art. Recent major projects include the Tainan Art Museum mural (2016) and the Osaka International Airport mural (2018). He has also actively participated in overseas mural projects, including POW!WOW!TAIWAN (2015), POW!WOW!HAWAII (2018), The Wallriors, Kaohsiung (2019), Varanasi Art Project (2019), and DUK festival, Serbia (2023). In 2021, he launched the mural project "Yodo Kabe," centered around Juso, Osaka. This project contributes to expanding awareness of mural culture in Japan and revitalizing the region ahead of the 2025 Osaka World Expo.
Main Building 2F Gallery CONTAINER
JOINT EXHIBITION - Saki Morinaga × witness × WOK22 - “Gift”
witness/Courtesy of IWATAYASaki Morinaga
Born in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1993. Illustrator and artist. Her illustrations are characterized by their simple yet surreal and unique style. Since 2020, she has primarily focused on Instagram, working on TV commercials, logos, web media, illustrations, and more. Witness Born in Fukuoka Prefecture. His artwork spans a wide range of media, including floral motifs, offbeat pieces, and fabric prints of his own work. He was responsible for the key visuals for Sapporo Beer's 2020 rebranding. He has collaborated with and provided artwork to Nike, Montblanc, Starflyer, and others. WOK22 is a graphic artist and painter originally from Nagoya and currently based in Fukuoka. He enjoys cloud and tentacle motifs, and expresses the pop and dark aspects of his mind using a variety of techniques. His diverse activities include the design of the Softbank Hawks Fight! Kyushu uniform and providing artwork for STUSSY, Herschel, PARCO, ADIDAS, and the One Piece art project. In recent years, he has expanded his horizons both domestically and internationally, exhibiting in Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, and Manila.
Born in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1993. Illustrator and artist. Her illustrations are characterized by their simple yet surreal and unique style. Since 2020, she has primarily focused on Instagram, working on TV commercials, logos, web media, illustrations, and more. Witness Born in Fukuoka Prefecture. His artwork spans a wide range of media, including floral motifs, offbeat pieces, and fabric prints of his own work. He was responsible for the key visuals for Sapporo Beer's 2020 rebranding. He has collaborated with and provided artwork to Nike, Montblanc, Starflyer, and others. WOK22 is a graphic artist and painter originally from Nagoya and currently based in Fukuoka. He enjoys cloud and tentacle motifs, and expresses the pop and dark aspects of his mind using a variety of techniques. His diverse activities include the design of the Softbank Hawks Fight! Kyushu uniform and providing artwork for STUSSY, Herschel, PARCO, ADIDAS, and the One Piece art project. In recent years, he has expanded his horizons both domestically and internationally, exhibiting in Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, and Manila.
Main Building 1F KIRAMEKIBOARD
A2Z™ SOLO EXHIBITION “Pineal”
A2Z™/Courtesy of IWATAYAA2Z™
An anonymous artist based in Tokyo. He began his activities with the "AtoZ MUSEUM®" in 2019. The group is also developing a project to redefine familiar everyday objects (from A [origin] to Z [end]) and package them as artworks. For the first installment, they created artworks by modifying public domain artwork data selected from the collection of over 50,000 artworks at the Art Institute of Chicago whose copyrights expired in 2018. The characters "Mr. A / Mr. Z," who appear in A2Z™'s original works, represent the "zombie paintings" that have been democratized and given new life by something that once had value.
An anonymous artist based in Tokyo. He began his activities with the "AtoZ MUSEUM®" in 2019. The group is also developing a project to redefine familiar everyday objects (from A [origin] to Z [end]) and package them as artworks. For the first installment, they created artworks by modifying public domain artwork data selected from the collection of over 50,000 artworks at the Art Institute of Chicago whose copyrights expired in 2018. The characters "Mr. A / Mr. Z," who appear in A2Z™'s original works, represent the "zombie paintings" that have been democratized and given new life by something that once had value.
New Building 3F Promotion Space
BLANS EXHIBITION - sota -
sota/Courtesy of IWATAYAsota
Born in Osaka in 1990. Graduated from Osaka University of Arts. Active as an artist, he primarily creates live paintings and murals. He specializes in portraits, pursuing realistic and three-dimensional depictions. After graduating from university, he pursued a wide range of creative endeavors, including planning solo exhibitions at galleries, participating in group exhibitions, and creating abstract paintings. It was during this time that he encountered live painting, which led him to develop a highly improvisational painting style. In 2015, he launched his event "LongTrip" at the long-established club NOON in Nakazakicho, Osaka. It has evolved into a regular, all-night event, and has since invited numerous guest painters to perform.
Born in Osaka in 1990. Graduated from Osaka University of Arts. Active as an artist, he primarily creates live paintings and murals. He specializes in portraits, pursuing realistic and three-dimensional depictions. After graduating from university, he pursued a wide range of creative endeavors, including planning solo exhibitions at galleries, participating in group exhibitions, and creating abstract paintings. It was during this time that he encountered live painting, which led him to develop a highly improvisational painting style. In 2015, he launched his event "LongTrip" at the long-established club NOON in Nakazakicho, Osaka. It has evolved into a regular, all-night event, and has since invited numerous guest painters to perform.
New Building 2F Promotion space
BLANS EXHIBITION - LANP -
LANP/Courtesy of IWATAYALANP
Living in Osaka. He is the artist for the hip-hop crew WARAJI. He also hosts the event "Air Conditioner" at his hometown Hattori Ryokuchi Park. He continues to paint in a variety of fields, including apparel design, murals, and providing artwork to companies. He also works as a manga artist, working hard every day on his currently on-hiatus work, "Anoyo de Mannen."
Living in Osaka. He is the artist for the hip-hop crew WARAJI. He also hosts the event "Air Conditioner" at his hometown Hattori Ryokuchi Park. He continues to paint in a variety of fields, including apparel design, murals, and providing artwork to companies. He also works as a manga artist, working hard every day on his currently on-hiatus work, "Anoyo de Mannen."
New Building 1F Promotion space
Keeenue
Keeenue/Courtesy of IWATAYAKeeenue
Born in Kanagawa in 1992. The name Keeenue is a coined word derived from the katakana pronunciation (K-A-N-A) of his real name, KANA. He is active both in Japan and overseas, creating murals, exhibiting paintings, and providing artwork. His unique and vivid worldview, while figurative, is reminiscent of abstract painting, stimulates the imagination of viewers, inspiring their own interpretations and realizations. He has also collaborated with numerous companies, including NIKE, FACEBOOK, SHAKE SHACK, and ABC-MART, garnering attention.
Born in Kanagawa in 1992. The name Keeenue is a coined word derived from the katakana pronunciation (K-A-N-A) of his real name, KANA. He is active both in Japan and overseas, creating murals, exhibiting paintings, and providing artwork. His unique and vivid worldview, while figurative, is reminiscent of abstract painting, stimulates the imagination of viewers, inspiring their own interpretations and realizations. He has also collaborated with numerous companies, including NIKE, FACEBOOK, SHAKE SHACK, and ABC-MART, garnering attention.
■Participating artists
Keeenue / AUTOMOAI / A2Z™ / BAKIBAKI / Hogalee / JUN INAGAWA / JONONE / LANP / Saki Morinaga / Seiji Matsumoto / sota / WOK22 / Wataru/ Komachi / witness and more
■EVENT
・LIVE PAINT by WOK22
Date: 2023.9.14 thu. PAINT by witness Date: Friday, September 15th & Saturday, September 16th, 2023
Venue: Gallery CONTAINER, 2nd Floor, Main Building
LIFE WITH ART
Wednesday, September 13th - Monday, September 18th, 2023 (National Holiday)
Iwataya Main Store: KIRAMEKINBOARD, 1st Floor, Main Building / Gallery CONTAINER, 2nd Floor, Main Building / Large Event Hall, 7th Floor, Main Building / Promotion Space, 3rd Floor, New Building, 1st Floor, 2nd Floor, 3rd Floor, New Building
2-5-35 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture 810-8680
Opening Hours: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM [Closes at 5:00 PM on the last day]
URL:https://www.iwataya-mitsukoshi.mistore.jp/iwataya/event_calendar/artexhibition_lifewithart_2023autumn.html
Wednesday, September 13th - Monday, September 18th, 2023 (National Holiday)
Iwataya Main Store: KIRAMEKINBOARD, 1st Floor, Main Building / Gallery CONTAINER, 2nd Floor, Main Building / Large Event Hall, 7th Floor, Main Building / Promotion Space, 3rd Floor, New Building, 1st Floor, 2nd Floor, 3rd Floor, New Building
2-5-35 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture 810-8680
Opening Hours: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM [Closes at 5:00 PM on the last day]
URL:https://www.iwataya-mitsukoshi.mistore.jp/iwataya/event_calendar/artexhibition_lifewithart_2023autumn.html
