Ground Y Choju Giga COLLECTION
Ground Y is a brand that proposes new possibilities in fashion through a genderless and ageless style, incorporating multifaceted elements that sync with the concept through the lens of Yohji Yamamoto. Ground Y is releasing a limited edition collection featuring paintings by Kawanabe Kyosai, who was active from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji era and is known for his wide range of paintings, at Ground Y directly managed stores (GINZA SIX/Laforet Harajuku/Shibuya Parco/Shinsaibashi Parco) and the official online store<THE It will go on sale at SHOP YOHJI YAMAMOTO> on April 14th.
*Sales will start at 12pm on the same day at the official online store <THE SHOP YOHJI YAMAMOTO> https://theshopyohjiyamamoto.jp/shop/t/t1311/






Special page for <THE SHOP YOHJI YAMAMOTO> *Opens Wednesday, April 14th at 12pm
https://theshopyohjiyamamoto.jp/shop/e/egykyosai/

Nicknamed the “artist demon” and said that "there was nothing he could not draw," the artist Kawanabe Kyosai left behind a wide variety of works, including caricatures and satirical drawings, based on his rebellious spirit, and he remains highly popular even 130 years after his death. Ground Y, which inherits the creative DNA of Yohji Yamamoto, a designer who has been at the forefront of Paris Fashion Week since 1981, has presented an antithesis to fashion through its approach that has confronted the taboo of "black" head-on. The Ground Y spirit, which inherits the creative DNA of Yohji Yamamoto, and the vision of the genius Kawanabe Kyosai, known as the "artist demon," fuse together under the keyword "rebelliousness" to transcend time. This world-first initiative, launched in 2020, garnered significant attention.

This season's second collection features a selection of Kawanabe Kyosai's "Choju Giga" paintings, boldly rendered on the canvas of Ground Y clothing, which inherits the creative DNA of Yohji Yamamoto. Additionally, we will be re-releasing some of the popular patterned shirts from the first collection, which sold out immediately after release, including items featuring paintings by Kawanabe Kyosai's daughter, Kawanabe Kyosui. The key visual models are Tina Tamashiro and Shuntaro Yanagi, who are active as actors and models, and a special movie featuring the two is currently available on the official Ground Y YouTube channel.

https://youtu.be/m7Z0KkZMzT0


Ground Y Choju Giga COLLECTION_1
Ground Y Choju Giga COLLECTION_2
Ground Y Choju Giga COLLECTION_3
▼Details of the work used
"Choju Giga: Nekomata and Tanuki, Sketch"
The cat wearing a red jacket is a nekomata, a monster with a forked tail, and to its left are tanuki, weasels and moles, which are said to deceive people, all dancing in a circle on two legs. The completed version of this painting has not been found, but unlike other drawings, it is so richly colored that the cat's golden eyes were said to glow when it was discovered 40 years ago.

"Chojugi ga Fukuro to Tanuki no Saireigyōretsu" (Cartoon Animals Drawing: Owl and Tanuki Festival Procession)
A sketch depicting a tanuki riding a fox, accompanied by frogs, led by an owl wearing an eboshi hat. There is a human skull on the fox's head, and like "Chojugi ga Nekomata to Tanuki Sketch," it is thought to depict an animal monster, but the details are unknown.

"Imported Tiger and Leopard Child Picture Theory" (The Imported Tiger and Leopard Child Picture Theory)
A multi-color woodblock print depicting a tiger on the right and a leopard on the left. At the time, the distinction between tigers and leopards was unclear, and there were various theories, such as that a female tiger was a leopard. The legend by the comic writer Kanagaki Robun quotes Honzo Komoku to explain the differences between the two animals based on the knowledge of the time, such as the fact that leopards have patterned fur.

"Group of Women: Sketch"
This sketch depicts young women relaxing. The diverse hairstyles, from long hairstyles such as hanging hair to karawamage, kamuro, and hyogomage, as well as the wide variety of clothing, from noue (lower garments) to kosode (short sleeved kimono) and ō-furisode (long-sleeved kimono), show that women of a variety of eras and social classes are depicted, from the Middle Ages to the late Edo period. This is one of the sketches for which we hope to see the finished work discovered.

"Ghost Picture Sketch" (Yureizu Shitae)
A sketch for "Ghost Picture" by Gyokusai, housed in the National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden, Netherlands. The finished work was created for the British architect Josiah Conder, who apprenticed under Gyokusai to study Japanese painting. The finished work, resembling an optical illusion in which a ghost emerges from the mounting, is terrifying, but the sketch depicting only the ghost exudes a sense of awe, lacking the slightest trace of humor.

"Taihei Kaika Ayatsuri Sugoroku" (Taihei Kaika Ayatsuri Sugoroku)
A multicolor woodblock print of the so-called "success sugoroku" (a game of success sugoroku). Starting with "entering elementary school," the right half shows the career path of completing school, becoming a "government official," and then "traveling to the West" and "rising up." The left half is filled with squares leading to decadence, such as "heavy drinking" and "sleeping in the morning," but it seems possible to rise if one "reforms."

"Kyousui Beauties 12 Months Calendar" February, May, October (Kyousui Bijin Juni Kagetsu Karendaa)
A calendar for 1911 featuring beautiful women painted by Kawanabe Kyosai's daughter, Kyosui, following the brushwork of various schools. The calendar includes the name of Kawamata Silk Fabric Refining Co., Ltd., and is written in English, indicating that it was intended for overseas promotion. There is also a nishiki-e print that inspired this calendar.

Ground Y Choju Giga COLLECTION_Imported Tiger and Leopard Young Art_hoodie
Ground Y Choju Giga Collection_Imported Tiger and Leopard Young Art_Tshirt
Ground Y Choju Giga Collection_Nekomata and Tanuki_Tshirt
Ground Y Choju Giga Collection_Group of Women_Tshirt
Ground Y Choju Giga COLLECTION_Owl and Raccoon Dog Festival Procession_Tshirt
▼Profile
[Kawanabe Kyosai]
Kawanabe Kyosai (April 7, 1831 (May 18, 1831) – April 26, 1889 (April 22, 1889))
From the end of the Edo period through to the Meiji period, he was active in a wide range of styles and fields, voraciously studying various schools of painting. A talented artist, he was described as a "demon painter" by his teacher, Maemura Towa, at an early age. In addition to being a Kano school painter, he was also active in many other fields. At the age of 33 (by traditional Japanese reckoning), he gained popularity with his proverb-e series "One Hundred Pictures of Kyosai," and at the age of 51, his "Crow on a Dead Tree" won the top prize, Second Place, for Exquisite Technique, at the 2nd Domestic Industrial Exposition. His fame was established when he was purchased for 100 yen, a high price at the time. It is well known that British architect Josiah Conder was one of her students. She is a proud painter of Japan, with many enthusiastic collectors not only in Japan but all over the world.

[Kawanabe Kyosui]
Kawanabe Kyosui (December 10, 1869 (January 22, 1869) - May 7, 1935 (Showa 10))
The daughter of Kawanabe Kyosai, she began studying painting at a young age and exhibited her work in many exhibitions. She lost her father when she was 22 years old (by Japanese reckoning). At the age of 24, she exhibited "A Beautiful Woman Poetry and Falling Flowers" at the Japan Art Association's art exhibition, and received a second-place commendation. Her coloring was highly praised. In the late 1890s, she taught at the early stages of the Japan Women's Art School (now Joshibi University of Art and Design).

Kawanabe Kyosai “Chōju Jinbutsu Giga“ Tribute by Ground Y
■Available at: Ground Y directly managed stores (GINZA SIX/Laforet Harajuku/Shibuya Parco/Shinsaibashi Parco), official online store "THE SHOP YOHJI YAMAMOTO"
https://theshopyohjiyamamoto.jp/shop/c/c20/

■Release date: Wednesday, April 14th *Sales start at 12pm on the same day at "THE SHOP YOHJI YAMAMOTO"
【THE SHOP YOHJI YAMAMOTO special page】 *Opens at 12pm on Wednesday, April 14th https://theshopyohjiyamamoto.jp/shop/e/egykyosai/

■Price (all prices include tax): T-shirt 30,800 yen - 35,200 yen / Hoodie 35,200 yen / Shirt 33,000 yen - 74,800 yen *All items are unisex and available in one size fits all Shop information Ground Y GINZA SIX 6-10-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061 4F TEL 03-6264-5165 Ground Y LAFORET HARAJUKU 1-11-6 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001 1F TEL 03-6455-5277 Ground Y SHIBUYA PARCO 15-1 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 153-8377 2F TEL 03-6427-8984 Ground Y SHINSAIBASHI PARCO 1-8-3 Shinsaibashisuji, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka 542-0085 1F TEL: 06-6125-5607
Ground Y THE SHOP YOHJI YAMAMOTO
https://theshopyohjiyamamoto.jp/shop/c/c20/

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