The desire to show Japanese music to the world

With origins in club culture, tokyovitamin is a label that’s been active on the streets and in society, building connections with people. They made an album with fellow artists to manifest the mood of Tokyo today through music and lyrics.
Looking back on tokyovitamin’s musical modus operandi, they’ve been releasing radio-style playlists on SoundCloud and putting out music in an inclusive way, where many other people they know could join in. Perhaps this is an extension of their careers as DJs. In 2020, they released their first compilation album, Vitamin Blue, and their presence as a label has become increasingly prominent since then. Why does tokyovitamin continue to release compilation albums in the first place?

“We make them with the hope that they’ll reach someone somewhere, as one example of music that’s coming out of Japan right now. It doesn’t matter if it’s in Japan or abroad. If I were living abroad, this kind of music (tokyovitamin’s compilation albums) would catch my eye. By working with artists in different fields to create one album, I hope we provide a space where the participating artists can show off a different side of themselves. At the same time, I’m sure it’ll give the listeners a chance to discover new artists” -Vick

“I think compilation albums have a lot of equal principles. Of course, we make music videos for some of the songs, but it’s not like they’re the lead songs of the album. It’s more like every song is a single. Maybe I like compilation albums so much because they have that nature about them” -Kenchan

As of now, tokyovitamin’s compilation albums mainly include artists in Japan. Vick and Kenchan have discerned Tokyo’s vibe and zeitgeist throughout the years, and they aim to incorporate that into their work and show it to the world.

“We couldn’t even go abroad in 2021, so the results of being in Tokyo the entire time are reflected in this album. It’s our interpretation of Tokyo, in a way” -Vick

“It’s not like we choose which artist to approach based on their nationality, so this may change in the future, but for Vitamin Yellow, we focused on the current shape of Japan and Tokyo. Down the line, we’re thinking of ways to get producers from overseas to work with artists from Tokyo, and vice versa, so we’re looking forward to what music we can make in the future” -Kenchan

The artists in Vitamin Yellow include label artist Duke of Harajuku, as well as Young Coco, Loota, etc. Gliiico, Stones Taro, Kaoruko, MIYACHI, and MANON are among the artists who’ve appeared in tokyovitamin’s albums for the first time. The songs that feature the likes of Minami Nakamura, Rave Racers, and JUBEE also stand out. One could say this lineup is tokyovitamin’s interpretation of Tokyo today. Vick, Kenchan, and Duke of Harajuku acted as directors for the songs and came up with artists they wanted to work with. They directly approached and DMed artists to expand the roster of artists. After Vitamin Blue was released, the collective met Bleecker Chrome, Only U, and L.A.-based Kazuo, and they contributed to Vitamin Yellow as well. Kenchan approached Stones Taro because he wanted to work with him for the album and decided to get Kaoruko to make “YOU WORRY.”

MIYACHI – “WHAT HAPPENED”

Loota, Young Coco, & Gliiico – “LOVE DON’T LOVE”

“I believe it’s important for us to understand each other to work together. Of course, we sometimes approach an artist because we think their music and what they’re doing is cool, but it’s like we naturally started working with artists we know or those we’ve had prior relationships with” -Vick

“We don’t have any criteria for the artists we approach. It’s mostly based on personal taste and what we find is cool” -Kenchan

As Vick and Kenchan said, they chose the artists for this album based on their sensibilities. Another crucial factor upon approaching artists was whether they had the mindset of making music with a strong will and can-do attitude.
Because a director was assigned to each song and many artists contributed to the compilation album, worldbuilding of a certain degree must’ve been necessary to make sure the songs had the same direction. Despite Vitamin Yellow being a compilation album, once listened to from start to finish, one will see that it’s very cohesive. The music made from the vessel of tokyovitamin is unique.

“The person who invited the artist was in charge of the direction of the song, but we didn’t coordinate or do anything special to create a sense of coherence. We all understand what we like, and we can easily communicate without saying anything. Occasionally, the artist would ask me what kind of song we were going for, and I’d give them my view on the overall direction. But I didn’t give them any specific instructions. I left that up to them. The result turned out to be more interesting, and it came together more naturally” -Vick

An album that showcases not only the pair’s mood but everyone else’s too

Compared to their previous album, Vitamin Blue, Vitamin Yellow is more melodic, and some parts have a rock-like sound. It has a more prominent mix of different sounds. Was this their intention?

“It probably has a strong eclectic element because of everyone’s mood, more so than ours. The producers who participated in this project also probably wanted to create something new, not something they’ve done before, so I think that’s why you can tell the difference” -Kenchan

“It’s true that [our album in] 2020 didn’t have the same mood as this album. I don’t consider it as rock, but I feel that there’s a strong emphasis on the melody. It’s a result of being influenced by the mood of the world, and the speed of the songs is more relaxed. We knew we wanted to create songs with high energy, but we wanted to have vocals on top of songs with time and space to think. That probably came about naturally” -Vick

Around the release date of the compilation album, they held a pop-up store at Tower Records Shibuya for just two days. Because this event happened in the center of Shibuya, I feel like the album symbolizes Tokyo.

“We were happy about the pop-up store as well. We had been talking about doing something together with Tower Records for a few years, and the timing of this pop-up store worked out well this time around. It was a coincidence that the color of [Tower Records] and the album was yellow; it was perfect” -Vick

“I’ve been going to Tower Records since I was in elementary school. I used to go to the sixth floor a lot. That floor has rows of metal and hardcore CDs, and I used to dig through imported ones a lot. They played the music video for “YOU WORRY (feat. Stones Taro Kaoruko)” on the screen on the first floor, and I was quite touched to see my video like that. I was also glad that people I wouldn’t usually meet at a club or izakaya saw our pop-up store” -Kenchan

Stones Taro & Kaoruko – “YOU WORRY”

Aside from the actual music, the cover art, created by neon artist WAKU, is also appealing. This piece came about thanks to Kenchan and WAKU’s meeting each other over six years ago. They also displayed the artwork at the pop-up. WAKU’s neon piece, including the reflected light on an acrylic surface, stands on its own as a complete work of art. One could enjoy different expressions depending on the angle. He conveyed a fragment of the art’s true magic in real life.

Mat Jr – “YELLOW (Behind the Scenes of Vitamin Yellow)”

tokyovitamin carves out the current shape of Tokyo in Vitamin Yellow, but what do the two think about the spirit of Tokyo’s subcultures today and the scene surrounding them?

“That’s a difficult question. I haven’t met enough people to summarize the different moods, so it’s hard to describe them. But I’m certain that interesting things are happening everywhere. Today, cool bands, producers, and labels are popping up here and there. I get excited just thinking about how different cultures can blend once we interact with more artists from abroad, the way we did pre-covid. Outside of Tokyo, [things are also happening in] Kansai. Producer E.O.U runs a label called PAL.Sounds (in Kyoto) with Keiju, ktskm, and Vis. There are a lot of interesting events. I’m just so excited about what everyone’s doing” -Kenchan

“I believe Tokyo could be a hub that connects the world. I can tell that artists all over Japan are doing their best to create things, even during the pandemic where real information from outside is stagnant. As Kenchan said, not only are there interesting people in Tokyo but all over the country. And it’s interesting how each of them is making something they can only make now, based on the current state of things. If each person continues being creative, and the next phase is for real information from the world to come in all at once, I feel like we can build such an interesting culture. As of right now, Tokyo operates on information flowing in and out. While it would be fun for that to happen, we could still have fun in a way that we never imagined even if it doesn’t” -Vick

The mood of Tokyo today can be seen in tokyovitamin’s compilation album Vitamin Yellow: the album is an international embodiment of the collective’s unique locality, from Tokyo to the world. If one gleans the vibe of the songs from the cover art and listens to the content of the lyrics, one could experience Tokyo’s youth culture of tomorrow. How will they capture and present the zeitgeist from their point of view in the future? I can’t wait.

Vick / Kenchan
Founded in 2016, tokyovitamin is an independent music label. Vick, the director, is also a DJ, while Kenchan is a videographer and VJ. Both are actively involved in the brand, as well as making music videos, hosting events, collaborating with different brands and companies, and more. They released their second label compilation album, Vitamin Yellow, at the end of 2021.
Instagram：@tokyovitamin / @vickokada / @kenchantokyo

Photography Takaki Iwata
Translation Lena Grace Suda

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There is a surprising amount of the past in young peoples’ visions of the future right now. The highest-grossing film for 2021 in the U.S. was another Spider-Man; in Japan, Evangelion. Yet these products are experienced as completely fresh to new consumers. In fashion, old is new again: following a sort of 20-year rule, styles from the 90s and early 2000s have resurfaced for Gen Z as inspiration for how to dress. Naturally, brands have caught on; new iterations of flared pants and chunky shoes occupy significant real estate here in New York this winter. Perhaps more notable, however, is the fact that original old items have attained a mainstream desirability. On his latest album, Kanye West did not rap about a new Dior jacket, but instead a rare and old Junya Watanabe-designed watch that nobody has ever seen.

Through the instagram account Constant Practice, Zeke Hemme has built a following of detail-obsessed fashion fans (and celebrity influencers) some 120,000 strong as of this article’s writing. On the account, Zeke models a lot of the clothing he sells, bringing a sense of humor to avant-garde fashions and connoisseurship to vintage outdoor gear. To get a closer view of his world and the products that occupy it, I asked Zeke some questions about his life, his store, and his perspective on fashion.

Finding a space for clothing and competition

−−Your store is based now in Richmond, Virginia— before that, it was Philadelphia, right?

Zeke Hemme: Yeah, it was Philly, and then before that it was Hoboken, New Jersey. We moved down to Philly because we were gonna have my first daughter, and it was just cheaper down there…I mean, the New York area, I’m sure you know how expensive it is. And then from Philly we moved down to Richmond because more family was down in the Richmond area. We’ve been here almost a year now, and we’re very happy with it. I have an office space in downtown Richmond now…it took probably about 6-7 months to actually find the space. I moved there in September, and I’ve been there ever since. I’ll be there probably for a decent amount of time, at least until I outgrow it. Just since I have so many clothes…the square footage, it’s only like 500 square feet, it’s not that big. If I want everything hung up, it’ll be too small by the end of it. But for the time being, I’ll work around it.

−−You said you were originally working out of Hoboken? Is that where you’re from?

Hemme: No, so I actually lived in Louisville, Kentucky, for most of my childhood, and then I moved out there for college. I was kind of always into clothes, but after I graduated is when I started to heavily get into it, just since I had more free time. I played soccer full time, basically, until college was over. I like to be very competitive about what I’m doing, and I have to actually enjoy what I’m doing to be competitive about it. And business is all competition, or at least it started out that way [for me], because there were a couple of stores…you could say they were “archive” stores, when it all was starting, in like 2016. I was always very competitive about it, even now I try to be very competitive about it, just to be the store that everyone wants to go to, with the most interesting, unique products that they’re not finding anywhere else.

−−I read that the first items you sold were from Undercover— what attracted you to the brand?

Hemme: That was what happens to any new seller in my opinion; you just naturally do what other people are doing. So Undercover was really popular back then. I mean it’s still really popular now, but in terms of the second-hand market, people trying to push the “archive” thing, that was one of the main brands. It was Undercover, Raf [Simons], and Helmut [Lang], those were the big three around 2015-2016. They’re kind of the fathers of…starting the whole archive thing. For Undercover, the pieces were very interesting, and a little more out-there than what I personally was used to. The downside was that I personally couldn’t wear any of it. I’m 6’3 and about 190 pounds, so…none of the clothes really fit me that well. And I’m broad, and I have an athletic build, so it just wasn’t working out. I slowly started to realize that it’s cool having the pieces, but I actually enjoy clothing myself, and if I have a piece I really like but I can’t wear it because it’s too small, that sucks. So I started to try to identify with other brands, like Cav [Empt] and Yohji [Yamamoto] and Issey [Miyake] and Comme [des Garçons], ‘cause a lot of the cuts on those pieces are relatively large. Especially Yohji, Yohji’s cuts are frickin’ massive. So it was really easy for me to put them on and have more of an attachment.

I was selling Undercover, then I slowly moved onto Cav Empt, and then after that I did a Cav Empt drop on Grailed in 2016. Then I stopped for about six months, ‘cause I was trying to figure out what to do. I almost stopped selling at that point. [laughs] It’s really funny, I don’t know why I stopped, I guess I was overthinking it and trying to think of something cool and new to do when I should’ve really just continued what I was doing. But when I started back up again, after six months or whatever it was, I started to buy and sell Yohji, Comme, and Issey specifically. At that time, the markets were really focusing on Raf, Helmut, Undercover…and with any market, you’ll get to a point where it caps, and I felt like those were getting to that point. So it was both a personal decision and a business decision. Personally, I really really like Comme, Yohji, and Issey…that’s why I collect a lot of them. I have my own collection and stuff I sell. And then I sell my personal stuff at some point. But I feel like the more you have a personal attachment to the stuff, the more you find better products…the very specific, unique, or hard to find ones.

For Comme, the price point was easier to get into, and same thing for Issey, nobody was really buying or selling it. But Yohji already had a market. Yohji’s been on the second-hand market for a long time, so the price point was relatively high. That was risky from a business standpoint, because I was spending a lot of money on hype. An Undercover jacket would sell for 450, 500, a Yohji jacket would start at that price. So then I was taking even more risk, just to invest in it. But the plus side is that the shit actually fit me, so even if I bought it for 500 and it wasn’t selling, I could just wear it.

Collecting and selling rare labels

−−At some point in that early period, or maybe when you took a break, did you feel a sense of purpose beyond selling or wearing the clothes you were buying?

Hemme: To tell people about the history and stuff?

−−Yeah.

Hemme: I did, and I’d love to do it more, and my excuse always is that I just don’t have time. I guess a more current example is the Mandarina Duck stuff. I have other brands that I’ve been collecting, so…maybe for future brands I’ll try to do it in a more packaged way, with more information built into it. With the Mandarina Duck there just isn’t that much information out there, so my goal was to try to consolidate as much as possible to get a whole picture of what products the brand offers. Through the [consolidated] products you can actually understand more of the brand, because everything’s in one place. It’s not like you’re seeing one piece here and one piece there, and you’re like, “I kind of get it.” You’re actually seeing a hundred pieces of that one brand, while there aren’t really any [other] images of the brand on the internet.

I also think that it’s partially my job to tell people what I think is a quality vintage brand. Because Mandarina Duck, it’s a completely unheard-of brand, but the quality is phenomenal. It’s some of the best-made clothes. But like I was telling a customer yesterday, you’re paying for different things with different brands. With Mandarina Duck, you’re paying for the quality, the fabrics, the textures, all the interesting patterns they did on the garments. All the garments are very typical, for the most part, but all the pattern cutting they did is completely atypical. But you would never think it if you just looked at the garment itself on an instagram post. It doesn’t translate. You would have to be there in-person to feel the fabrics, I’d have to show you the cuts and the paneling…it’s in the very, very small details that they do. But that comes with the territory of a lot of tech-type stuff. It isn’t overt, if that makes sense.

−−It seems that the Constant Practice aesthetic has a particular focus on product design— a love of functional and non-functional details that make items special.

Hemme: Is that your interpretation of it? Honestly, I just kind of do what I want to do at the end of the day, but my goal is always what you just said. It’s like finding those utilitarian, functional pieces that you can wear every day, but that also have these weird little details you would never think of. You pretty much nailed it on the head, and kudos to you, because I don’t ever really verbalize what I’m trying to do.

−−And with what you’re trying to do— does that interest ever extend beyond clothes?

Hemme: Design, in general? Yes, but the majority is in clothes. Especially because I have clothes, you know, my job, it’s the clothing thing. I have other interests, like furniture, but I don’t dive into it. I spend so much time finding clothes from brands I already have, or finding new brands that fit within the world that I’m doing. And so continuing with that, and finding new brands, like the Seeing Red guys, or Brian Jimenez, or Per [Gotesson], and trying to find another up-and-coming designer that’ll fit into the store…it’s very time consuming, I probably spend eight to twelve hours a day doing it.

“Complete” products for the future

−−When you sell new items from brands like Seeing Red or Per Gotesson, you’re selling them alongside older brands you’ve done research on. Do you evaluate the new pieces considering qualities that might make the items desirable in the future?

Hemme: Yeah, well for all the brands I sell there’s a very specific aesthetic, and they’re true to the aesthetic that they’re going for. That’s one of the hardest things for designers— to find what their aesthetic is, and then build product based on that. Brian Jimenez kind of reminds me of Rick [Owens]. It’s a more military, industrial take on Rick-ish…feelings. [laughs] He uses really good colors, I really like the silhouettes he goes for. And he always has a military bent in what he’s researching and trying to reference, which is something that I personally connect to— a lot of what I sell is military-influenced. Seeing Red, they have this very interesting, unique, grotesque design. They have their core ten or so products that they do, but the language, from the colors to the materials, it’s very very consistent, and that’s really hard to do, the way they’re doing it. Mixing five different colors into one piece— usually I’d think that’s the dumbest thing in the world, but for whatever reason it looks good on their stuff. It’s because they understand colors. You gotta think about if the body of the hoodie is this color, and we’re using this kind of contrast stitching detail, but then we’re gonna have these other little green threads sewn in, how is everything working together? It screams loud but then at the same time it doesn’t, just because it’s all cohesive and feels like it’s all supposed to be there. Like the gloves they did, those are the coolest things I have ever seen. Whenever I get a product in and I’m very, very happy with it— and this isn’t just for new designers— where I think holy crap, this is really well made, every design feature on it is really well-thought out, then it’s a complete product. That’s how I feel about the gloves. And that’s no bullshit. [laughs] It’s one of the most complete products I’ve gotten from a new designer. And the other one would be Per’s Digitoile jackets from 2019 and 2020…those, I feel, are very complete.

−−You, yourself, grew up in the 90s, right? How do you relate to this new “Y2K” nostalgia and the trend that’s emerged from it?

Hemme: Well, I’m 30— so ‘91 to 2001, I was ten. I mean, Oakley is really cool, I have a lot of Oakley. [shows “timebomb” watch] And this is Oakley too!

I kind of pay attention to trends, and kind of don’t— so you’ll see some items that “fit the bill,” and some items that don’t. Being a store that curates, it’s important to have both— you don’t want to follow trends verbatim, because then you don’t have any perspective. But you can’t go the other way either, because then you’re going to cap yourself from a business standpoint. If you go full avant-garde, off the beaten path, you’ll have a strong customer base, but you’ll only have so many new people that come into it. If you straddle the two, I think that’s the happy medium— you’re bringing in new people that might not think about the weird, avant garde stuff that isn’t very popular, but you get them in the door with a trendier item or the item people are gonna know about. Eventually, maybe later on, as the customer’s style develops, they may come back and realize that they like this other stuff too.

−−To conclude— as of this interview, you’ve just released a big collection of Mandarina Duck items. Any idea what’s next for 2022?

Hemme: I have some other brands in the pipeline that I’ve been collecting for the past year and a half…I’ll probably be releasing some of those. I don’t want to give too many details away, I like to keep it a little discreet. Hopefully with these next vintage brands I’ll be selling, I’ll have a more packaged, scheduled rollout, with more information on the items. I haven’t had to actually do this before, so it’s a little new to me. I was working another job for the last six or seven years, and this was just a side thing. All I would do was take photos of clothes and post them, just ‘cause that’s all I ever had time for. But I’m doing it full time now, so I can actually think about what I’m doing, schedule stuff, make it planned out a little bit more. But I also like how it’s not that planned out sometimes, when it’s a bit sporadic. [laughs] Because I think that way it’s a bit more engaging.

Zeke Hemme
He is the owner of Constant Practice, a Richmond-based store for vintage, technical, avant-garde, or otherwise “archival” fashion items. He has been collecting and selling clothes for the past six years through his website and instagram page, as well as Grailed, an online platform focused on the buying and selling of second hand men’s clothing.
https://Constant Practice.com/
Instagram：@constant_practice

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From business to science, the number of situations where people advocate for the necessity of art is dramatically increasing. Although the world doesn’t look different under the influence of the corona pandemic, people’s minds are changing; under such change, how does everyone’s perception of art transform?

Gallerists, artists, and collectors are now researching and trying to predict what kind of art will appear in the post-corona generation.

The eighth installment features Shunsuke Kimura, director of NEW AUCTION, a new auction house that has introduced profit return system for artists. NEW AUCTION, which was established in Harajuku, Tokyo, is not bound by the conventional concept of auctions, but is operated with the aim of providing new experiences and values and promoting a sustainable circulation of resources in the art market. For the first time in Japan, they introduced so called profit return system where a portion of the proceeds will be returned to the artist. And as a principle, works that are less than two years old will be sold with the approval of the artist or the gallery representing the artist. The first auction, “NEW 001,” was held in November at the BA-TSU ART GALLERY in Harajuku. We talked to him about the background of the establishment of NEW AUCTION and the responses from clients to the auction.

Auctions in Japan have a lot of untapped potential

–What made you to decide to launch “NEW AUCTION”?

Shunsuke Kimura (Kimura): When I was working for an auction company in Japan for about 10 years, I was planning an auction called “Harajuku Auction” focusing on the town of Harajuku, and I was also organizing an auction called “ART+MUSIC” selling music-related artworks. After that, I moved to a company called en one Tokyo, where I was in charge of directing the gallery space “SAI” in Miyashita Park. As I collaborated with artists through exhibitions as the director of SAI, I was often reminded of the characteristics of this place where the gallery is located.

In the past, SAI held an exhibition of photographs taken by photographer Ryuichi Ishikawa, who accompanied survivalist and mountain climber Bunsho Hattori. The exhibition consisted of photographs taken by Ishikawa while he and Hattori were immersed in a self-sufficient lifestyle in the mountains, and the works on display depicted nature untouched by human hands and the internal organs of animals hunted for food.

We eat animal flesh as a matter of course, but in today’s society it has become really difficult to see how they are produced. Therefore, I thought that there would be complaints, resistance, and negative opinions about exhibiting images of raw internal organs in a straightforward manner. However, once the exhibition started, many people came to see the exhibition. However, when the exhibition started, many people came to see the exhibition. About 70% of them probably didn’t know anything about Ishikawa or Hattori, and we received really interesting responses, such as high school girls taking pictures in front of the image of deer brain and a person from oversea who was moved to tears. At that time, I had the feeling that people who just dropped by would take something home with them from this place.

From this experience, I realized that SAI, being located in a commercial facility, is in a sense more open than a gallery or museum, and that it is a place that can impact on many people. Also, the SAI team often talks about how to get more people interested in owning works of art, and I thought an auction was an interesting way to do this. Anyone can purchase the work, and the price is open. An exhibition conveys the world of a particular artist, but an auction requires more explanation of each work for prospective buyers. Since there is still a high hurdle to buying art in Japan, I thought that an auction with an event-like atmosphere would be an effective way. In addition, I saw potential in the fact that the actual artworks would be displayed here at SAI for people to see.

–Please tell us about the strengths of NEW AUCTION compared to existing auctions, such as the introduction of a profit return system to support artist.

Kimura: In Europe, Artist’s Resale Right (ARR) exists, but in the U.S., Japan, and many other countries, there are no laws regarding profit return to the artist. Regardless of whether profit returns are good or bad, in the art market, there are artists who create works in the first place, galleries that support them, collectors who buy the works, critics, and museums that preserve the works for future generations.

I believe that auctions are like a pump that supports the circulation of art, but now, perhaps because auctions have become too powerful, they have too much momentum and seem a bit violent. With NEW AUCTION, we want to make this cycle a little softer than it is now. The redemption money is one of the mechanisms we have introduced on an experimental basis.

–As for auctions, do you think there is still a lot of potential in Japan?

Kimura: Yes, I think there is. It can be said to be an untapped area, so I think there is still a lot of potential, partly because Japanese artists are highly regarded overseas. I feel that Japan as a country is getting more attention in the Asian market as well. The quality of the artists and galleries is high, but the market is not yet that mature. Department stores are still perceived as a main place to buy art. So in that sense, I think it’s important to show a transparency of market through auctions.

–You also made the elaborate and gorgeous catalogs, right?

Kimura: I made a conscious effort to tell the story of each piece, even in short sentences. By sharing the background of the work, it is possible to motivate potential buyers to purchase the work, rather than just making them appreciate it aesthetically. In the first place, the owners have lots to say about their artworks. Thinking about the work is something we enjoy doing, and something we think is necessary. I also think it’s positive that artists of all genres can be seen evenly.

The reason for the high rate of successful bid of 95.3%

–Please look back on the auction “NEW 001” held on November 6, and tell us  your impressions of it.

Kimura: This was our first auction, and I was first of all relieved that we were able to run it smoothly without any system trouble. Also, there were many participants, and above all, the atmosphere of the venue was wonderful. A large number of people participating does not necessarily mean that the auction will be successful. But it also needs to be exciting. Usually, not a few people join the auction via phone or online, instead of coming to the venue, but this time we had the highest number of bids from the venue and the winning bid rate was as high as 95.3%.

One of the interesting things that happened in the auction was that one client, who we imagined that he would be buying pop art like Warhol or Cows, ended up bidding on a Picasso’s piece. As the market matures, I think people will be interested in different artists with different styles, rather than choosing the one everyone else choose. This experience is unique to auctions.

–The total amount of successful bids was 555,477,250 yen (including sales commission). What do you think brought vitality to the auction? And why do you think it was able to achieve such a high winning bid rate?

Kimura: I think it was because we were able to convey the appeal of the works well. Also, the appropriateness of estimated prices was a big factor. This was made possible by the cooperation of the sellers. I also got the impression that the event was more exciting than I had expected because of the variety of people who came to the venue.

— The number of works on display and sale was approximately 130, and the lineup of artists ranged from masters who have appeared in art history to contemporary artists who are now popular in Japan. How did you curate this wide variety of works?

Kimura: First of all, I calculated the limit to the number of artworks to be about 130, considering the limitation of the exhibition space and human resource. Within this limitation, we have collected as wide a range of works as possible so that both those who are familiar with art and those who have never purchased art before can enjoy them.

Based on the general criteria regarding the historical periodization and tastes we set, we negotiated with the sellers to select pieces. Regardless of the price, we tried to collect as many works as possible that we ourselves would want to have.

–How were the responses from the sellers?

Kimura: There were many positive comments about the profit return system, saying that it was necessary. Also, I think the sellers were pleased with the catalog and our branding strategy.

–The piece bought at the top price was George Condo’s “Little Ricky” (2004), which fetched 138 million yen. This was the second highest price among art auctions held in Japan this year. Did you expect this situation?

Kimura: It was the first time that such a major work of George Condo was auctioned in Japan. I am grateful to the Japanese owner for selling it to us. As for the work, I thought there would surely be bids for it since he is one of the most popular artists in the world. But what was important was whether bidder was from Japan or not. The winning bidders were from overseas, but there were also a lot of bids from Japanese bidders. I was able to feel once again the potential of Japan, that even in Japan, excellent artists’ works are bid on.

A system that allows funds to circulate through NEW AUCTION without relying on the existing market cycle

–How do you plan to manage “NEW AUCTION” under the circumstances of the current art market bubble?

Kimura: There are auctions held at the Imperial Hotel where people would have to be dressed in a suit to participate, but “NEW AUCTION” aims to be an auction that is rooted in the town of Harajuku as much as possible. When you go to Europe, you see many people strolling around their neighbourhood and stopping by auctions to buy a piece of work they like. We focus on being a casual place where people can buy our works casually and enjoy them easily. It would be great if we could run the shop in a way that both the clients and us can enjoy.

–In the first half of 2021, the number of art auctions increased by 3% compared to the first half of 2019, according to a report from Artmarket.com. We believe that the vitalization of the online market is a major factor, but what changes have you seen in the auction market under the COVID-19 pandemic?

Kimura: With the establishment of a system that allows people from all over the world to bid easily, the auction houses have quickly moved online. I think an increasing number of people are judging and purchasing artworks based on images. It’s great that our lives are becoming more convenient, but at the same time, the physical art appreciation experience is essential. There are still so many things that are not conveyed well online.

–What kind of market are you currently focusing on?

Kimura: Today, art is attracting a lot of attention as a place for artists from groups of social minority. Kawaguchi, a member of “NEW AUCTION”, was originally based in New York, and he has a friend who curates black artists. We had planned an exhibition curated by him, but it could not be realized due to the pandemic. In addition to the physical transportation issues, I am also concerned about whether people will be able to fully understand the background of the artist’s work, when they are exhibited in Japan. Regardless of whether they sell well in the market or not, we need to think more about whether Japanese people will be able to understand the context well or not, whether we will be able to convey a deeper significance. I think it is our mission to consider this and take on the challenge, even though we don’t know what kind of response we will get.

–Please tell us about the future prospect of NEW AUCTION.

Kimura: I would like to gradually expand our community and make the auction culture more rooted in Japan without being overwhelmed by the surrounding circumstances. We have received positive feedback from people in the fashion industry about “NEW 001”, and we have added another diagonal line to the “W” of “NEW” in the “NEW AUCTION” logo, to convey the message of expanding the community and connecting to the next step.

For example, if there is an idea about publishing a Japanese version of an overseas art book, we would like to propose the use of auctions to raise funds, and we would also like to play a role in the operation of the system. We would like to see pieces of art circulating through NEW AUCTION, and a portion of the proceeds going to every corner of the art market. That’s what we would like to realize.

Shunsuke Kimura
Director of SAI, art space in Miyashita Park, and director of NEW AUCTION. He worked for an auction company in Japan, where he organized the Harajuku Auction, an auction focused on Harajuku, and the ART+MUSIC , an auction focused on works of art related to music. He then moved to en one tokyo, where he also manages SAI as its director. In November, he launched “NEW AUCTION” and held the first auction “NEW 001”.

Photography Kazuo Yoshida
Translation Shinichiro Sato(TOKION)

The post Art Series “The Shape of Boundaries” Vol.8　Director of NEW AUCTION Shunsuke Kimura’s vision on a new form of art auction appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

Shakkazombie – “Sora Wo Torimodoshita Hi (DJ Watarai Remix) Feat. Ignition Man, Jon-E”

The emotional impact Takeshi Osumi left on his friends

――How was it like watching the music video for “Sora Wo Torimodoshita Hi (DJ Watarai Remix) Feat. Ignition Man, Jon-E” now that it’s complete?

Ignition Man: Firstly, I want to say thank you to everyone. I’m so grateful people came together for this despite being busy.

――Many of Big-O’s friends star in the music video. They’re all from different genres and occupations. Did you have any criteria upon choosing the cast?

Ignition Man: Of course, I chose people close to Shakkazombie and Osumi (Big-O). They all had a deep relationship and connection with him. I wanted more people to be in the music video, but some people had left Tokyo, and I had no way of contacting others.

――You met some people for the first time in a long time thanks to the music video shoot, right?

Ignition Man: Yes, that applies to Buddha Brand and others. Those older guys are still full of life, so it was so much fun (laughs). I haven’t seen them since Kon-chan’s (Dev Large) memorial show. But I felt guilty they had to come all this way. Demi-san (Nipps) and Kuri-chan (CQ) told me they were glad to see me, so that made me happy, though. Also, it’s been a long time since the three members of Northern Bright got together. Yes, it was hard dealing with Osumi’s passing, but I was grateful to have this opportunity to see everyone again. Same with Namba-kun.

――Did you talk about your memories of Osumi-san with them, who you haven’t seen in a while?

Ignition Man: It was sad to see everyone under the given circumstances, but Osumi created this opportunity. Each of us has different emotions attached to him, and we all met him at separate points, so we talked about a lot of things. I heard some of the anecdotes for the first time. It’s been a while since I saw the members of Nitro (Nitro Microphone Underground), so I felt a bit nervous. But I started talking to them and realized nothing has changed.

――Why did you make a music video for “Sora Wo Torimodoshita Hi” out of all the songs from BIG-O DA ULTIMATE?

Ignition Man: Osumi loved that song, and a big reason is that it’s his solo song.

――In the music video, you can see Ebisu, where the office and store for the brand Osumi-san and you founded, Swagger, was located, and Udagawacho in Shibuya, where you used to hang out when you formed Shakkazombie. What does each of these places mean to you?

Ignition Man: The music video starts in the Reco-mura area in Udagawacho. It’s a special place to me. When we first founded Shakkazombie, Osumi and I didn’t have any money, and we would go to Cisco almost every day. It was an important place for our career as well. Also, there’s Still Diggin’, where Muro-kun would be a buyer back then, so that area is meaningful. I think everyone involved in hip hop at that time would know. Even though I sometimes go to Tokyu Hands, I don’t go any farther anymore. So, it’s been a long time. Also, Cisco shut down. There’s also a yakiniku restaurant nearby called Yuji, which I used to go to often. I went there for the first time in more than a decade after the music video shoot. Yuji-san was happy to see me for the first time in a long time, too. Of course, he was sad about Osumi, but I believe he brought us together again. I was also so touched I could shoot with the two guys from Buddha Brand in Udagawacho.
Also, Kounkaku in Ebisu. When Osumi and I started the brand Swagger, we used my house as an office, but later on, we decided to set up a proper office. There’s an apartment complex called Kounkaku, which housed the offices of well-known older designers for brands in Daikanyama. Toshimi-san (from Tokyo No.1 Soul Set) rented a room there, too. It was a place I admired. When Osumi and I were looking for a space, we told the real estate agent what sort of layout and the amount of rent we wanted. Then, Kounkaku came up by chance. We couldn’t help but rent it, so we signed the lease right away. I think we moved in on November 30th, 1999. It was our first office for Swagger, so I needed to include it in the music video. There’s also a scene where we’re walking around Ebisu. It’s a city that means a lot to Osumi and me.
Tokyo Tower also appears in the music video. Tokyo Tower is a symbol of Tokyo that Osumi loved. He wasn’t from Tokyo, but he was a “This is Tokyo” type of guy. I wanted to include Tokyo Tower, which represents the city. He collected a lot of Noppon, the merchandise of Tokyo Tower mascots (laughs).
Overall, the music video was shot in locations that meant a lot to Osumi and me.

“I don’t want to use the cliched word, unique, but Osumi was Osumi and no one else.”

――You re-recorded your lines for this tribute. Did you deliberately try to change anything from your old lines?

Ignition Man: When I listened to it myself, I felt like my style hasn’t changed, but perhaps I wrote lyrics and rapped in a more easy-to-understand way than before.
Also, “Sora Wo Torimodoshita Hi” was Osumi’s song, and it was interesting and nerve-wracking to be part of it. It was tough for Jon-E and me to trace Osumi’s lyrics and go into his world. I hadn’t seriously rapped in 19 years, but I wrote the lyrics well, and it felt refreshing. Instead of changing from my past self, I leaned in closer to my past self to convey the rap.

――You said that you rapped while putting yourself in Osumi’s world. What kind of rapper was he for you?

Ignition Man: I don’t want to say too much about my late rap partner (laughs). During our early days, he did some complex things, but he also rapped in a simple manner on many songs. Regarding his metaphors, the way he rapped on a beat, and his word choices and how they sounded, I don’t want to use the cliched word, unique, but Osumi was Osumi and no one else. I admire and envy people who have that kind of gift. My voice is normal (laughs), but maybe that’s why we worked well together.
Osumi and I are different because, on the surface, it seemed like his natural talent came through effortlessly, but in reality, he put a lot of thought and effort into his work. He once said in an interview that I was “a rapper-like rapper.” I’m straightforward about everything.

――From the outside, it seems like Osumi-san regarded you as unique too, which is why you were able to create Shakkazombie, a group that one couldn’t see anywhere else.

Ignition Man: I wonder. I hope that was the case (laughs).

――How would you describe Osumi-san as a designer?

Ignition Man: He was a beast. Before we had an office, we would always hang out in one of the meeting rooms at Avex, the former label for Shakkazombie. We’d spend all night there designing on paper. At first, we were just two people who liked clothes and would discuss and work on Swagger. But as the scope grew, it became clear that Osumi wanted to express himself differently, so I said, “Why don’t you try doing it on your own?” That turned into Phenomenon. I decided I wouldn’t be involved in his brand, as I said he should do it by himself.
Osumi switched his mindset between Phenomenon and Swagger and came up with totally different ideas. Eventually, more icons started wearing Phenomenon in the city. Osumi seemed to have an awakening. It was exciting to witness. While I tried to create from scratch, he took a long time to conceive an idea, and when he verbalized it, it was already completed. He didn’t show others that he put a lot of thought and effort behind the scenes. That was amazing.

Hip hop is becoming more accessible

――This tribute features many old and new artists from Japan, regardless of genre. Did you think of asking foreign artists to participate?

Ignition Man: Lupe (Fiasco) was very close to Osumi, and he has so much respect for him, so I wanted him to join from the start. Because of time constraints and other things, it’s finally been confirmed for us to release a song featuring Lupe remixed by Muro-kun.

――I see! This album also features younger rappers, such as Creative Drug Store, 5lack, and PUNPEE. Compared to the time Shakkazombie was active, hip hop today seems to have taken root and “gained citizenship” in Japan. What’re your thoughts on the current scene?

Ignition Man: Hip hop in Japan is so intriguing right now. Rather than it gaining citizenship, I think hip hop itself has changed. Trap music isn’t the same as what T.I. was doing. It’s become developed and more melodic, so it’s easier for people to listen to the music. If I were 20 today, I would be doing the same thing for sure. Some American rappers like Chance the Rapper approaches trap music slightly in a different way. It’s like hip hop done musically. Now, there are a lot of artists like that in Japan as well. We live in an era where it’s easier for people to listen to hip hop more comfortably. Back in my day, we tried to look intimidating (laughs). The scene was small back then, but you could say that hip hop itself has become more widespread. It’s not like every young person is chasing after New York.

――We live in a time where you can write songs with others without meeting them in person. When I look at this generation, I feel like artists are meeting in-person to create less and less, unlike Shakkazombie hanging out at Cisco.

Ignition Man: I’m not the type of person who gets too nostalgic about the good old days. If I had the knowledge and skills to make music from home, I’d do it in a heartbeat, but it takes a long time for people my age to learn new things (laughs). Kids today try things out right away, even if they don’t know what they’re doing, which is brilliant.
Of course, it was so fun to hang out with like-minded people at Udagawacho back then when not much information was available. But now, you can aim for the world from home, which is so special.

“[It] made me re-realize how Osumi was liked and loved by so many”

――How would you like the younger generation to listen to this tribute album, which was released during an era where hip hop has become widely accessible to different types of people? What kind of presence would you like it to have?

Ignition Man: I’d like to ask the listeners how it sounds. Maybe people think I’m doing something outdated (laughs). We, as Shakkazombie, happened to choose hip hop as a means of expression; the three of us liked other genres when we were making music, which is probably similar to how the younger generation approaches music today. While this album is a tribute, it’s also the culmination of exploring our old songs. It would make me pleased if people could see it as an album that uses the means of hip hop to get in touch with music.
I think it’s refreshing to hear a group that was active more than two decades ago making songs with a group that’s at the forefront today or even with old friends who’ve been around for a while. It’s the album I would like to listen to as a listener. I did what I wanted to do at that moment. I hope the younger listeners of today will wonder, “What kind of group is Shakkazombie, who’ve worked with Creative Drug Store, 5lack, and PUNPEE?” Hip hop evolves, as do the listeners.

――The younger generation of today doesn’t make a distinction between genres. A drummer in a rock band can be a hip hop DJ now. Back then, it was rare for a hip hop trio to play at live houses like Shakkazombie. You even shared the stage with hardcore bands and appeared at AIR JAM. That no-genre feeling is a connection you have with today’s generation.

Ignition Man: We thought of ourselves as just three guys who got their start in playing shows, but it seemed like the people around us saw us in the way you just described. Much like how kids today don’t have fun in just one genre, we enjoy seeing bands live. We also like to watch people playing hip hop in clubs. We would go to both places the same way.

――Osumi-san’s passing instigated this tribute. Tsutchie-san and you took the lead and remixed and reimagined Shakkazombie’s songs. How do you think Osumi-san thinks of BIG-O DA ULTIMATE?

Ignition Man: Yama-chan (Hirokazu Yamazaki of toe), who suggested the idea of creating this album, said, “Maybe he’s laughing!” But honestly, I’m just so nervous. I still don’t know how Osumi’s going to listen to the album or if he’s truly happy about it. What I can say is, although it was a rough time and I miss Osumi, I’m happy we could head in the same direction to create something together and manifest it.
The fact that so many people came to the music video shoot made me re-realize how Osumi was liked and loved by so many. I was so moved I teared up because I had a chance to get together with friends I used to hang out with around Udagawacho to make something. I was also glad to hear from the young artists that they respect Osumi so much. The one thing I can boast is, I made an album packed with feeling. I think Osumi is laughing and saying, “Why is Hide-Bowie doing this?” (laughs).

Ignition Man
Alongside Big-O and Tsutchie, Ignition Man formed Shakkazombie in 1993. With Big-O, he founded and operated the clothing brand Swagger. He’s currently working on his own brand Kakoi.
Instagram: @iggy1924

■Vinyl Record
SHAKKAZOMBIE BIG-O DA ULTIMATE（HIPHOP DNA / UNIVERSAL MUSIC）

A side
1. Sora Wo Torimodoshita Hi (DJ WATARAI REMIX) Feat. IGNITION MAN, JON-E
2. Tomoni Ikou CDS Version Pure 2021 Feat. VaVa, JUBEE, BIM, in-d
3. BIG BLUE (MURO’s KG Remix) Feat. IGNITION MAN, SUIKEN, MACKA-CHIN, DABO, GORE-TEX

B side
4. 5o tight So deeP – 5lack Feat. PUNPEE & SHAKKAZOMBIE
5. Niji (Chaki Zulu REMIX)
6. IT’S OKAY (THE GOODFELLAZ REMIX by TSUTCHIE) Feat. DABO, YAMAZAKI HIROKAZU (toe), TAKAYOSHI SHIRAKAWA (BACK DROP BOMB), TOSHI-LOW (BRAHMAN / OAU), HIROSHI BROWN (RUDE BONES)

Photography: Tetsuya Yamakawa
Text: PineBooks inc

The post “Sora Wo Torimodoshita Hi” by Shakkazombie; Big-O’s world according to Ignition Man appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

Matcha, popular in Europe and the United States, has now transcended trends and has become one of the regular drinks in cafes. It is known by the name “Matcha” to distinguish it from “Green Tea,” and the export amount of Japanese tea has quadrupled in the past ten years due to the influence of the Japanese food trend. In addition to its unique flavor, the beauty industry has brought out the new appeal of matcha, which is considered one of the reasons for its growing popularity. Matcha is effective not only for drinking but also for external approaches, is beginning to be applied to various products. 

Boscia
 “MATCHA Magic Super-Antioxidant Mask”

One of the best-selling products of the plant-based skincare brand “Boscia,” established in the United States in 2002, is an antioxidant mask called “MATCHA Magic Super-Antioxidant Mask.” The main ingredient is high-grade matcha green tea that helps to revive stressed and tired skin, absorb excess oil and minimize the appearance of redness all the while helping to fight free radical damage. Currently, the daughter of its founder, Lan Belinky, is the co-creator and general manager of Boscia. “My family moved to the United States so my Japanese father and Boscia founder could realize his dream of bringing Japanese-influenced skincare stateside and Boscia was born when I was a teenager. Mesmerized by my grandmother’s meticulous 6-step beauty ritual and my aunt’s unique product application practices. Since I live in the United States, I always, always held close my Japanese roots.” The name is derived from plants (BŌ) and science (SHA). It is working to create products that maximize the effects of plants by fusing excellent ingredients with the latest scientific technology. She attributes much of her contributions to Boscia’s growth to her biculturality with its first collections (Tsubaki, Sake and Charcoal) all inspired by her Japanese heritage. Now Boscia pays attention to the antioxidant effect of matcha. “Detoxify, decongest and de-stress your skin with the antioxidant power of matcha,” she said. 

Odacité
 “Green Ceremony Cleanser”

The organic skincare brand “Odacité” from California has created a facial cleanser using matcha. An eye-catching facial cleanser called “Green Ceremony Cleanser” is a powder-to-foam cleanser made by adding a few drops of water that removes dirt and pollutants while re-energizing tired complexions. “The idea of Green Ceremony Cleanser was born when I was invited to the Tea Ceremony in Kyoto,” said the founder and CEO Valérie Grandury, “In the traditional tea ceremony experience, I learned about the different grades of matcha, including the highest grade of matcha known as Ceremonial Grade. Used for the ceremony and drank exclusively by monks before meditation, this matcha has the highest concentration of Chlorophyll and is the base of Green Ceremony Cleanser. I was also impressed by the four founding principles of the Japanese tea ceremony: Purity, Respect, Harmony and Tranquility.” High-purity Chlorophyll content improves the appearance of breakout-prone skin while illuminating dull complexions. The gentle foam derived from Coconuts respects the delicate skin barrier, so skin feels fresh and never tight. The harmony of matcha and spirulina offers potent antioxidants to help maintain youthful-looking skin. Massaging the skin with a gentle baby foam brings calm to the skin and mind. Having overcome breast cancer, Grandury woke up to the well-being and began producing products particularly about high-purity ingredients. Born and raised in France and based in California, she is inspired by nature and different cultures to develop skin and eco-friendly cosmetological products.

Maison Margiela Replica Fragrance
 “Matcha Meditation” 

The scent of matcha brings peace to the heart with nostalgia and warmth. The relaxing effect of matcha given by the sense of smell may not be felt only by the Japanese. Increasingly, the comfort and healing of fragrant matcha are applied to fragrances. “Maison Margiela Replica Fragrance” launched in June 2021 “Matcha Meditation” that reproduces the memories of Japan. The elegant and plump scent of matcha is combined with the gorgeous and fresh bouquet of bergamot and orange flowers. On a calm afternoon, you can imagine a quiet time with a warm matcha bowl and a smooth foam.  The scent of matcha reminds you of a moment of meditation.

Le Labo
“Matcha 26 eau de parfum”

In October, the New York-born fragrance brand “Le Labo” launched with a scent inspired by matcha. “Matcha 26 eau de parfum” is a matcha accord that blends into the creamy fig scent, with a hint of soothing vetiver and cedarwood and an uplifting bitter orange. Delicate, gentle, woody and fresh scent. “It is a moment of introspection, a moment of self that offers a quiet inner celebration of grace and soulful beauty. A simple whiff takes us away from the hum of the outside and brings us back in,” they wrote on the official website. 

Matcha, cultivated in Japan for a long time, has taken off to the world and integrated into different cultures. As a result, its value is much more than just a drink, it has begun to be discovered from a new perspective. The synergistic effect of the J-beauty trend in Europe and the United States is likely to unlock the unknown potential of matcha further.

The post Infinite possibilities of “Matcha”: the watchword of J-beauty trend in Western countries. appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

Haroshi produces art using worn-out skateboard decks. The modern artist who is not only celebrated in the world of skateboarding, but well sought-after all around the world, had held his solo-exhibition, I versus I, at the gallery that newly opened this year, NANZUKA UNDERGROUND. His main artworks at the exhibition included sculptures crafted from piles of skate decks, “GUZO,” a slew of skate decks placed on a flat surface, “Mosh Pit,” and toys using sofubi (soft vinyl figures/figurines) of Date Naoto. The exhibition exuded his passion towards the cultures of custom-made, street, and skateboarding.
This interview was conducted in the beginning of summer during the exhibition period. The article is in two parts unveiling Haroshi’s stance on art.

In Part one, we talked about his solo-exhibition, I versus I, the reason why he decided to use figurines for his works, and his thoughts toward “GUZO.”

People around me were into sofubi and that led me to start the sofubi series

ーーHow did this exhibition come about?

Haroshi: When I did an exhibition at NANZUKA for the first time in 2017, we talked about what kind of exhibition we should do. Before that, when I did exhibitions in New York and other places abroad, I was only showing my favorite works. I’ve had specific requests from galleries before about the sizes of artworks—like some places wanted me to make enormous ones—but I’ve never discussed with them about motifs. Though with Japanese galleries, since we speak the same language, I can talk to them about a lot of things. So, it was great working with NANZUKA as I was able to ask for their opinions while working on the pieces; when I was seeking for ideas, they told me that they would be interested to see some human figured artworks, and so I started creating toys naming them “GUZO.”

That first exhibition at NANZUKA (Haroshi GOZU @Nanzuka Gallery) was in 2017, and a month later, I had another exhibition in London. I only had two months to prepare for the London gig and didn’t have enough artworks to fill up the gallery space. I was feeling stressed not knowing what to do, but right at that time, I found a cardboard box in a storage full of Naoto Date’s Tiger Masks that had lost their masks. It belonged to sofubi sculptor Mr. Kondo, who shared the same studio as me and worked in the room across from mine. I asked him if I could take some. I thought that if I only made the heads, I would be able to produce enough pieces for London in two months. So, I got many broken figurines from Mr. Kondo and made just the heads; that was the beginning of the sofubi series.

ーーWere you always into sofubi?

Haroshi: To be honest, I was never into sofubi before, but a lot of people around me were into it. My friend Pushead (Pus) who is an artist, introduced me to an English teacher as my English was so bad, and the teacher was a sofubi creator named Denis, who lives in Japan and owns a sofubi factory. So, whenever I had an English lesson on Skype, I see a large collection of sofubi arrayed behind the teacher. Every time during the lesson, he would point at one of his sofubi like, “what’s this?” And although I wasn’t that interested, he taught me many things about sofubi. [laughs]. Later, we started going to sofubi events together, like SUPER FESTIVAL where his works were exhibited, and my curiosity towards sofubi started growing as I began interacting more with him. Also at that time, Pus introduced me to sofubi sculptor Mr. Kondo, as I had to rent the whole studio by myself and was looking for someone to share the studio with me, and Mr. Kondo had also just lost his workplace and was having a hard time looking for a new place. So, I got Mr. Kondo to join the studio. And later, there were more people joining the studio who were all in the sofubi business—and so creating artworks with sofubi came about naturally for me.

Custom-made culture underlying in I versus I

ーーI thought you were into sofubi since you were little [laughs].

Haroshi: Of course, I’ve always liked sofubi, but I just never wanted to get in line to buy one. You always have to be in a line to get the best ones. I don’t have the grit to be in line to buy something. But since I started making sofubi myself, I go to auction sites and buy figurines, like Naoto Date figurines, that most people wouldn’t want to buy. Tiger Mask figures without the iconic mask are the most unwanted ones, so I buy whenever I find one. So, I have a same-faced Naoto Date squad at home [laughs]. It’s like how bikers customize choppers—customizing culture is about customizing the parts you don’t necessarily need to. And that same concept underlies in I versus I; I think making a main art piece from unwanted sofubi, like those Naoto Date ones, and putting a title to it is such a cool thing.

ーーI agree, that’s the cool part of the customizing culture.

Haroshi: I’m fond of vintage goods like vintage denims and bikes. They’re really cool but they’re originally from an exclusive market, where people were making unwanted items look cool. Like punks looked cool with their leather jackets customized with studs, but they were wearing them because leather jackets were the cheapest in London back then. For me, it’s exciting to find values in things that aren’t deemed valuable.

ーーSo, the idea of transforming used skateboards into modern art came about naturally to you.

Haroshi: That’s right. There’s a great balance in creating things out of what people throw away. The idea of Alchemy exists for a long time, which is a concept of producing money out of nothing, and I think the role of humans is to create values out of nothing. I enjoy making things with that concept in mind.

In my childhood, I stood out with my summer assignments

ーーAre you a self-taught artist?

Haroshi: I went to a jewelry art school and after I graduated, I immediately became an apprentice to a molding artist, but I’ve never studied woodwork or art in general. I’ve been crafting something since I was a kid, so I kind of knew how to craft things. When I was in elementary school, I made dolls or stuff that were hard to get from Kleenex. Back then, figurines of Kinnikuman (Muscle Man in English) were popular and the figurines of my favorite show, Sakigake!! Otokojuku were hard to find. So, I made them by myself…. They were poorly made, though.

ーーSo, does that mean you’ve been creating 3D artworks since then?

Haroshi: Yes. They weren’t cool as it sounds, though, since they were low in quality. I was a sickly kid, so I was in a hospital all the time. I wasn’t good with sports, but I got to shine the most with my summer assignments. My grandfather was really good at crafting things too and we were always keen for summer break to start—we would buy many supplies at Tokyu Hands and craft all sorts of things together. In the beginning of a new semester after summer break, I always stood out with my summer assignment.

ーーRegarding “GUZO,” would you say you had to plan precisely to create the series?

Haroshi: Well, you know… The first-ever figurine I created was made from a Mirror Man bootleg I bought at SUPER FESTIVAL, which was gigantic, but I liked the proportion of its body. Once you make one, you can get a grasp of how it’s made; I was able to create the second and the third one deciding the body proportions on my own. So, if you see the series in chronological order, you can tell the first one is very much a normal sofubi from the proportion of its body and head. NANKUZA took my first figurine to Art Barsel, and they told me that they earned many reactions from the attendees, so then I’ve decided to brush up the figurines for my solo exhibition.

GUZO was sculpted to greet Buddha

ーーIs there a certain motif you imagine when creating your works?

Haroshi: I don’t have a specific motif in mind and it’s different from creating normal sculptures as I go by the colors of the decks. When putting the decks together, I imagine making something in red if the top layer is red; the tone of the red changes as I carve deeper and I stop carving when I reach the ideal shade. Normally, sculpting is done by imagining the final shape you want to achieve, but for me, there’s no such thing as a right shape. I just stop carving when I get to the color tone I like, and that depends on my own discretion.

ーーIt’s interesting how the color tone changes as you carve deeper. So, you’re adjusting with your aesthetic decisions and instincts.

Haroshi: There’s a saying for Busshi (Buddhist sculptors): “Greeting the Buddha.” They carve out Buddhist statues out of wood, but they make sure that they don’t hurt the Buddha. Basically, they believe that there’s Buddha living inside wood, and their job is to carve them out in perfect shape. If they carve too much, they will hurt the Buddha, and if they don’t carve enough, that means they fail to greet the Buddha. It’s the same for me with “GUZO”; I’m greeting “GUZO” by carving them out of a pile of skate decks. I’ll hurt them if I carve too much, so it’s like finding a good balance and letting them come out of me.

ーーAnd where did you find out about the story you just mentioned about the Busshi?

Haroshi: I just like Busshi-related stories in general. Since I didn’t go to college, I’ve been trying to see and learn as many different things as possible. There’s an art professor named Mr. Satoshi Yabuuchi, who sculps and fixes Buddhist statues. He also writes many books, and I’ve learned about Busshi and their philosophy through his books.

ーーYou never know how the sculptures are going to look like in the end…Each work is absolutely an one-and-only thing.

Haroshi: It’s like expressing what I feel as I carve; if I determine a goal of what I want to create in the beginning, it’s going to turn into something ordinary. Plus, it usually doesn’t turn out the way I imagine. Like, it never works out following a blueprint. I think it’s better to be flexible with these kinds of things. So, I just go with the flow.

ーーIs there something you would like to create with the same way you produce “GUZO”?

Haroshi: I think I can make pretty much anything I want. I try not to decide what character I want to create or how I should create something, because I don’t want to create just one thing in specific. Of course, there’s a lot I want to create. I usually go on live when I’m making whatever I want. Not that they are all good in quality and worth presenting to the world. As a hobby, I like to make wooden bear sculptures. However, they don’t look right for my exhibitions, so I just keep them at home.

※Continues to the Part.2

Haroshi
Born in 1978 in Tokyo. He started skateboarding in 1993. After cutting his teeth in jewelry production, he launched Haroshi with his partner in 2003. He produces sculptures and installations using discarded skateboard decks. He is based in Downtown Tokyo, though his works are praised all over the world. In the past, he collaborated with the skateboard brand, HUF, produced BATB (Battle At The Berrics) trophies, opened his solo-exhibition at Nova sector in 2018 Art Basel Miami Beach, and from 2019 to 2020, his works were exhibited at Jeffrey Deitch’s Tokyo Pop Underground, which took place in New York and Los Angeles. He just released his art book HAROSHI (2003 – 2021), which documents 18 years of his career and artworks.
Instagram：@haroshi

Photography Shinpo Kimura
Translation Ai Kaneda

The post Haroshi’s Love Towards Culture Emanated from I versus I –Part.1– Exquisite Art Spawned from Regeneration appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

Haroshi is an artist, who creates art from used skateboard decks. The modern artist who is not only celebrated in the world of skateboarding, but well sought-after all around the world, had held his solo-exhibition, I versus I, at the gallery that newly opened this year, NANZUKA UNDERGROUND. The exhibition exuded his passion towards the cultures of custom-made, street, and skateboarding.

Following the first part of the interview, where we were able to learn about his sentiments toward custom-made culture, how he started using sofubi for his works, and “GUZO” carved out of skateboards, in part two, we take a look into Haroshi’s thoughts toward street culture, his stories with his irreplaceable friend—the founder of Huf—Keith Hufnagel, and about the titles in the collection.

Placing everything with my own hands

ーーHow do you collect these skateboard decks?

Haroshi: There’s a shop that’s been sending me used skate decks since the beginning of my career, and they send me a lot on a reg. I think I have over 1,000 decks at home [laughs].

ーーHow do you sort them out?

Haroshi: First, I tear off all the deck tapes and decide whether I want to make a sculpture or a 2D art. Beat-up skateboard decks can’t be used for 2D art like “Mosh Pit.” Basically, they don’t look good as the graphics are completely faded and gone. So, I put the worn-out decks in a pile and use them to create “GUZO.” I put the ones that seem to be in a good shape to the side. I check and decide like, this should be for 2D art, this should be for sculpture—and sometimes, there are ones with florescent colors that can be used as accent, or ones with gold foil that can be used for something special. I decide carefully on how to use the ones with nice graphics or nice colors on the sides.

ーーI saw the process of making the 2D art on your Instagram, and you were spreading out all the decks on the floor.

Haroshi: It’s always like that—I place the decks randomly on the floor and once it looks good, I get on a ladder and take pictures from above; then it’s a constant task of printing out the pictures, cutting and putting them together.

ーーSo, you don’t use a computer to do all that?

Haroshi: No, because I don’t know how to use photoshop. I know it would be way better to do it digitally. I did an exhibition before this in New York at a gallery called Jeffrey Deitch and made about a 5m x 5m sized “Mosh Pit.” It was too big and difficult to work on it in Japan as I didn’t have enough space for it, so I printed out pictures of the skateboards in a smaller size to figure out the layout. However, it didn’t work out. It was just hard to decide on a sheet of paper.

ーー5m is tall as a 2 story building….

Haroshi: That’s right. It’s enormous. Since then, I realized that I need to figure out the layout using real decks and place them with my own hands; I do it manually to this day.

ーーCan you tell us about your love towards street culture? Or in other words, what do you like about street and skateboarding culture?

Haroshi: My love towards street culture….

ーーAs you produce art using skateboards, I thought you might be infusing identities born from skate culture into your artworks.

Haroshi: It’s hard to explain. Well, in the beginning, I used to always say that skateboard is all I have. There’s a man in Brazil making sandals out of tires. He probably started off casually just by picking up the tires that he sees everywhere around him, and for me, it’s the same but they weren’t tires and they were skateboards instead. It’s simple as that. I wasn’t looking for a specific material that I can make a career out of and be like “this is the one!” I just happen to be doing what I’m doing. It’s always better to go with things that come about naturally to you.

The crux of BLM I learned from Keith Hufnagel

ーーI’ve noticed that there’s a Huf deck in the center of “Mosh Pit.” Is this a tribute to Keith Hufnagel?

Haroshi: I started making this piece when Keith was still alive. During Black Lives Matter (BLM,) my middle finger sculpture displayed in Huf store Los Angeles got destroyed, and Keith immediately informed me, “the store in Fairfax got crashed and the middle finger sculpture is destroyed. Right now, I’m looking for the lost (middle) finger, but now, this is how it looks like.” I was shocked when I saw it and replied, “this riot sucks,” then he responded, “this isn’t a riot! This is a protest.” Keith was the greatest and I knew that he sincerely respected black people and their culture, and I remembered he admired Keenan Milton who was black, so I was awed when he told me, “This isn’t a riot. People are fighting to claim black people’s rights. Although your artwork got destroyed, this movement has a great meaning.” Three months later, he passed away; I had the skateboard with the middle finger graphic, which I used to ride all the time, and so I had decided to use it for “Mosh Pit.” I also had one with a shark graphic and thought it would be cool to use it like a shark attack. Under my middle finger skateboard, there’s a black panther one, which I thought would represent BLM—Like that, I was building the piece by putting together the things that were there.

ーーI can feel your emotions are strongly embedded in your works.

Haroshi: Yes. My time with Keith made me reflect on a lot of things. Before, I couldn’t agree to the part of American culture, where people do things like that to claim their rights. I was like, “this is rioting.” But Keith saw it differently and taught me that “it’s not a riot.” His words were profound and inspired me to share the experience through art immediately after the incident last year.

ーーSo, in the beginning you were just picking up your memorable skate decks and as you were putting them together, it got bigger and bigger that it eventually turned into a massive, evocative piece.

Haroshi: The boards have many scratches from skateboarders using them so much, and so “Mosh Pit” is a piece imbued with personal histories of various skaters. It’s like all the skaters, who skate not for fashion, but dedicating their souls for the sport, are gathered into one, therefore, the piece is a representation of the real skate culture. It’s like all the true skaters colliding into one. The Tiger Mask board in the center and the Kaneda —from AKIRA – board in the center are both my boards, and they are placed as if I’m in a mosh pit and crowd surfing at a gig.

I came up with the title, I versus I, because I’m fighting with myself

ーーBy the way, what does the title, I versus I, mean? And where did it come from?

Haroshi: Well, there’s a band called cocobat and they have an album called I versus I. Ultimately, I’m a huge fan of the band. People who are into cocobat like Pushead (Pus) as well—they’re a set. The first artist I ever knew was Pus, and for me, he was huge as Picasso. One day my artist friend USUGROW invited me, “We’re hanging out with Pus later, do you want to join us?” And that was my first time meeting and talking with Pus. Since then, Pus and I became close and he came out to my exhibition in New York with his wife, and then, like I mentioned earlier, he introduced me to my sofubi English teacher. When I participated in a sofubi event, cocobat’s [Azuma] Sakamoto (=TAKE-SHIT) also had his own booth. I was so hyped like, “No way, it’s TAKE-SHIT!!” [laughs]. I went up to him and said, “I’m a huge fan, please shake my hand!” Then, he put his hand out like this (twisted his arm and shook my hand facing backwards.)

Everyone: [laughs].

Haroshi: I shook his hand the way he did, but thought he hated me, and I was feeling so upset for the rest of the day. Later, I heard from people that in the 90s, when Sakamoto arm wrestled with a guy from another punk band, the guy was insanely strong that after a bout of wrestling, as they both went full strength, Sakamoto’s arm went “bang” and broke badly; since then, he shakes hands with people the way he does now. I was relieved when I heard the story and later, Denis apparently told Sakamoto about me, and Sakamoto gave me Godzilla figurines. He gave me two broken ones saying, “These are for you, I know you like these kinds of stuff.” I was incredibly happy like, “Oh my god, TAKE-SHIT gave me Godzillas!” And started liking him even more [laughs].

ーーYou’re his true devoted fan [laughs].

Haroshi: Also, there’s this guy name Kondo, who works in the room right next to mine and makes Pus’s figurines. He made the figurine of the character drawn on cocobat’s I versus I cover, and Kaws and Pushead’s companion figurine; like him, many people around me were somehow close to Pus.
You know in anime, when characters fight, there’s a big chunk of smoke with hands and heads popping out. For this exhibition, I wanted to create that and tried to make a round bubbly object with hands, feet and heads popping out, though I changed my mind as I thought sofubi should always be made in the shape of a human. Then, when I was thinking about creating one character going on top of another character who’s trying to resist with his leg up, it reminded me of Sakamoto—I was like, “this so like Sakamoto!”

ーーThat’s true!

Haroshi: Then, boom, it hit me that it should be titled I versus I. During the pandemic, when I was constantly working alone in my workplace, every person I saw told me, “That artwork of yours was sold at this price at an auction.” I was listening to them talk about how much my artwork and others were sold for, but I thought it’s silly to care. I’ve always been thinking that “I’m just fighting with myself!” So, it didn’t make sense to me when people were putting prices, evaluating my works and misunderstanding that we, artists, were like their combat powers. That’s when I thought I want to use the title, I versus I.
Sakamoto came to the opening, and I was happy to see him being excited with the title. By the way, once at a cocobat gig, I dove into a crowd and hit my hip really hard that I couldn’t walk for a while [laughs]. So, including “Mosh Pit,” all the titles in this exhibition come from my personal stories related to cocobat.

ーーIt’s been 20 years since you started your career. Do you have any goals for the future?

Haroshi: In the future, instead of setting a goal and endeavoring towards it, as long as I live, I want to be simple and just create something more fun and cool.

Haroshi
Born in 1978 in Tokyo. He started skateboarding in 1993. After cutting his teeth in jewelry production, he launched Haroshi with his partner in 2003. He produces sculptures and installations using discarded skateboard decks. He is based in Downtown Tokyo, though his works are praised all over the world. In the past, he collaborated with the skateboard brand, HUF, produced BATB (Battle At The Berrics) trophies, opened his solo-exhibition at Nova Sector in 2018 Art Basel Miami Beach, and from 2019 to 2020, his works were exhibited at Jeffrey Deitch’s Tokyo Pop Underground, which took place in New York and Los Angeles. He just released his art book HAROSHI (2003 – 2021), which documents 18 years of his career and artworks.
Instagram：@haroshi

Photography Shinpo Kimura
Translation Ai Kaneda

The post Haroshi and His Love Towards Culture Emanated from I versus I – Part.2 – “I’m fighting with myself” appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

VERDY is a globally sought-after graphic artist laude, and his creations, Wasted Youth and Girls Don’t Cry are lauded with fervent fans from all around the world. The highly praised artist, VERDY, had opened the pop-up event, titled TOKION x Wasted Youth “I can’t waste my time anymore.” at TOKiON the STORE.

A wide collection of items was made available at the event, including collaboration products with Häagen-Dazs and POSCA, of which their visuals were shot in Los Angeles, and the new Wasted Youth collection comprised of aloha shirt, shorts, and beach sheet.

Along the event, TOKION and VERDY have announced that they are hosting a design contest titled, TOKION x Wasted Youth T-SHIRT DESIGN CONTEST. The contest is taking place on Instagram, under the theme “If I made a T-shirt…?” Later, VERDY himself will select the one that most attracts his eye, and it will be introduced on TOKION’s website.

We sat down with the initiator of the project, who also has a memorable experience of submitting his work before on a magazine’s T-shirt contest, and heard about his thoughts on the project.

For me, it’s an opportunity to meet new people. I want people to join the contest casually for fun

ーーWhy did you decide to take part in hosting TOKION x Wasted Youth T-SHIRT DESIGN CONTEST?

VERDY: After 2020, since the pandemic started, I’ve decided to do less interviews and began launching projects from home, instead. For example, I did one where I posted a black and white graphic for people to enjoy coloring it in. I started the contest, thinking that it would be fun if I did a T-shirt contest under this circumstance. Also, I’m co-hosting this contest with TOKION, and I felt that it would become a more meaningful project working in tandem with the media.

ーーAnd what makes you think that the contest is going to be fun?

VERDY: In the past, I did a lecture at my old school (the vocational school where VERDY used to go), and after class, some students brought their portfolios asking for my comments and advice on how they could improve their drawings. Also, whenever I do a pop-up event, there are some kids who bring and show their illustrations to me, but I think there are only very few young kids who get to do things like that. There are only limited opportunities to meet me in person. And I’ve been thinking that there must be a lot of people out there, who are just like me in the old days, who want to continue designing and want to be a designer but frustrated as they can’t find the right place to work to pursue what they want to do.

ーーI agree. There aren’t that many people who can directly talk and get close to you.

VERDY: Right. But there must be a whole bunch of people from all around the world, who think “my drawings are the best!” And there are countless people, who post their works on social media. I’ve personally been wanting to meet new talented people, but the world is too big that it’s almost impossible to find those people by myself. So, I came up with this project thinking that if I did a contest that anyone can join, regardless of where they live, I would be able to gather and see a lot of works and meet new people with fun ideas and great creativity. So that’s why I think this project is going to be exceptionally fun.

ーーIs there a reason why you’ve decided to co-host the contest with TOKION?

VERDY: I’ve always wanted to do a project like this (T-shirt contest) and been thinking who would be good to partner with and when would be the right time to do it. This time, as we are releasing the Wasted Youth x POSCA collaboration items together and considering that these products focus on the art of “drawing,” I thought that they match the theme of the contest well. Also, as the modern world is suffused with Instagram or social media in general, I thought posting the works online and sharing them with people from all over the world is more significant now than ever.

ーーSpeaking of the past, I heard that you had also joined a T-shirt contest before.

VERDY: That’s right. In 2012, the Japanese street culture magazine, Ollie, was doing a T-shirt contest under NIGO®’s support and he was also the judge. And I entered for that contest.

However, I submitted my work without reading the rules thoroughly, and didn’t draw accordingly to the requirements, and sent an illustration of a boy moshing in a club wearing a pair of vans shoes…[laughs]. In the contest, 1 artwork was awarded a grand prize, and there were 9 other winners, and my work was chosen as one of them. I told NIGO® about this recently, and he remembered it, which made me extremely happy.

ーーIt’s amazing how you entered the contest and won a prize, but also the fact you talked to NIGO® about it some years later is so epic.

VERDY: Back when I entered the contest, I was still unknown, living in Osaka, and I remember being so nervous thinking that it might be a chance for my work to get published in a magazine from Tokyo. After I’d submitted my work, I just couldn’t wait ‘till the magazine came out with the announcement of the grand prize winner; now that I think about it, that winning experience was one of the reasons that kept me going without ever giving up on drawing. I think there are a lot of young people out there, who are like me from back then, finding a lot of inspirations and drawing pictures every day, but don’t really have a place to present their works.

ーーAnd this time, you are the judge of this T-shirt contest, and I’m sure this project is really exciting for the fans of Wasted Youth and Girls Don’t Cry as well.

VERDY: I hope there will be more people participating in the contest. Back when I submitted my work for the contest, I was drawing artworks for bands and I’d like to think that I came out debuting from that scene, but now, I want to know if there are young kids out there who also like bands and provide artworks for them. I’m also curious to know if there’s anyone who owns a brand and makes interesting graphics. I like people who diligently pursue the cool things they do.

ーーSo, are you hoping to discover young new talents?

VERDY: It’s actually not like that; I’m just yearning to “find out.” Though, if I were to say something to the younger generation, I want to let them know that there are ways for them to do what they want without getting consumed by the antiquated system.

ーーCan you elaborate on that?

VERDY: There are possibilities where new designers in the scene where I’m in, may succumb to unfair situations where the design is bought with a couple ten-thousand yen and re-used for years. Though, I strongly believe that these designers deserve to get paid enough, and at the same time, they should be responsible for their own works. It doesn’t matter if they become famous or not. If they do become famous, they will receive all sorts of offers, and in the beginning, they’ll be so elated that they might accept all offers, but that may lead them getting too much attention and the designs becoming too ubiquitous; and furthermore, there are people who earn a lot of offers temporarily yet become too busy that they eventually fail to find the right balance. It’s a shame to see those talents get ruined like that.
For corporates and brands, those designs may merely be one of the many designs out there, but since you have your name forever, you’re the one that needs to protect its value—I guess that’s the kind of message I want to deliver.

ーーAmazing. For this contest, what kind of feelings do you wish for the contestants to have when sending in their works?

VERDY: They can send them to me causally or they can send them to show their strenuous efforts—I’d be happy either way. They shouldn’t care about perfecting their illustrations or graphics, though. I’m not looking for perfection, so they don’t need to ever hesitate like, “is my work good enough to send?” I want people to feel free and just have fun with it.

VERDY
A graphic artist from VK DESIGN WORKS. He is the creator of Girls Don’t Cry and Wasted Youth, collaborating with brands and artists from Japan and abroad. He is one of the representatives of the contemporary fashion scene.
Instagram：@verdy

■“TOKION×Wasted Youth T-SHIRT DESIGN CONTEST”

【Application period】
today and until August 6th

【Design conditions】
Please create a design using the idea, “If I made a T-shirt…?”

【How to apply】
Starting today and until August 6th, please post your comments on the design image tagged with @tokion.jp and with the hashtag #wy_tokion_2021.
VERDY will make its selection once the application period is over.
Those selected will be introduced on TOKION’s media and on Instagram.
※Please note that posting a story will be invalid.
※Please only use “#wy_tokion_2021” as your hashtag when posting.
Please note that your entry will be invalid if you use another hashtag.
※Please use only “@tokion.jp” as the account tag.
Please note that your entry will be invalid if you tag another account.
※Please note that your entry will be invalid without a hashtag or account tag.
※Please note that your post may be reposted on TOKION’s Instagram during the application period.

【Application requirements】
・Applications are possible regardless of age, gender, occupation, or professional vs. amateur status.
・The format of the design does not matter. Please create the design that can be posted on the Instagram feed.
・1 applicant may apply using any number of designs.

Photography Takaki Iwata
Text Ryo Tajima
Translation Ai Kaneda

The post TOKION x Wasted Youth Vol.3 TOKION and VERDY Launch a T-shirt Design Contest on Instagram appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

I’ve always wanted to make something with POSCA

——I thought the idea itself of collaborating with POSCA was unique.

VERDY: I think no one has ever done a collaboration like this before. It all started from collaborating with Häagen-Dazs, and I made an offer to POSCA right when I began producing the new Wasted Youth collection with the theme “I can’t waste my time anymore.”

——You’ve done various collaborations in the past, but what are your criteria for choosing who to collaborate with?

VERDY: I have my own particular rules set for collaborations, and for Wasted Youth, the collaborator needs to be someone that adheres to my roots, hasn’t done many works with other brands or artists, and has its own style. Among others, POSCA was a brand that I’ve always wanted to work together with.

——Do you normally use a lot of POSCA pens?

VERDY: Of course. I like how you can draw on anything with POSCA. I use it when I draw on a skateboard or when I’m live painting. I’m emotionally attached it. It also looks cute as an object.

A special collaboration dedicated to myself in the past

——When did you start using POSCA?

VERDY: I started using when I was in vocational school. In class, we often used Copic pens, and they’re great when drawing on paper, but they’re too thin when drawing on a skateboard or on club dressing room walls. Regarding that point, POSCA pens are thick and perfect when drawing on uneven surfaces. Also, I like how they have a round tip. The tips of bigger ones are too bulky and square, so for this collaboration, we made one with a round tip. It’s the best. I’ve got tons of it at home.

——Do you stock a whole bunch since you use them a lot?

VERDY: Not really. I buy 10 POSCA pens whenever I need them for like live painting. But they’re no where to be found the next time I need them, so I buy 10 of them again, and as I’ve been buying them over and over again, it turned into a massive collection [laughs]. It shows that I use them a lot on a reg, though. The thickness of the POSCA pen is also perfect when drawing an illustration for my friend and signing autographs.

——POSCA’s pop-ness is transcended into graphics and well-captured in the Wasted Youth collaboration products. For this collaboration, why did you decide to produce not only apparels and skate deck, but also pens?

VERDY: I often get questions like, “what pen do you use?” or “how do you draw pictures?” But I can’t answer and respond one-by-one to each question and comment I receive on social media. I usually answer through interviews like this, but not everyone reads them. I’m sure the people who are curious about what I do, are the ones who are the most interested in the items I release, and thought I’d be able to respond to their questions implicitly by including POSCA as one of the items in my collection. At least they would know that I like and use POSCA regularly, or it may make them wonder why I’m releasing the POSCA items.
Obviously, there are people who already use POSCA when they draw pictures, and I hope this collaboration means something special to those people as well. Plus, when I was younger, I would have been truly happy if my favorite street brand was collaborating with POSCA. In that sense, this collaboration is like dedicated to myself in the past.

I should do everything I want to do, now!

——I see. Along your collaboration productions with POSCA and Häagen-Dazs, the new Wasted Youth collection under the theme “I can’t waste my time anymore.” was also released. Can you tell us about its concept?

VERDY: Before now (life with Covid), my life was like a whirlwind for 3 years, constantly flying to New York, Paris, Asia and all over the world that I wasn’t in Japan much, and my feelings and work were barely catching up to it. But the pandemic happened, and I was given more time to work more leisurely, and one day, a thought randomly popped in my head that fitted my current mood, which eventually evolved into the message, “I can’t waste my time anymore.” I then thought, “I should do everything I want to do, now!” And began thinking that I want to realize all the ideas I come up with and do as many collaborations as possible.

——So, would you say that your stance towards collaborations has changed?

VERDY: Yes. Before, I often made decisions after receiving collaboration offers, and there were only few times where I made the offers. I was more receptive, thinking that the ones I want to collaborate with would come to me eventually. But, now I’m more like, I should open up everything I want to do, and if it (the collaboration) doesn’t work out, then that’s that. As a result, I was able to create these unexpected products with POSCA and Häagen-Dazs, which got me so excited. With keeping this high spirit and under the theme “I can’t waste my time anymore.” I thought of creating something that exists in our lives and came up with all sorts of ideas for the new Wasted Youth collection.

——Including the alarm clock, this time you are releasing commodities as well, and I can tell this collection is focused on lifestyle essentials.

VERDY: The idea of creating these lifestyle goods came in organically as we spend more time home. Before, I was considering more on traveling light, and wasn’t that interested in creating commodities. Also, I’ve always produced things based on my own needs, what the skaters around me usually use, and what I thought would come in handy when I was on a tour with the skaters. And that stance has never changed.

——It’s such a cutting-edge line up with the beach items like aloha shirt, board shorts, and beach sheet.

VERDY: I made them simply because it’s summer now [laughs]. I personally love going to the pool and the beach. So, I’ve always wanted to make board shorts. Also, I’ve been thinking that if I’m making a product together with TOKION, I wanted to produce it from scratch. I was in a mood of creating something other than T-shirt and wanted to make a shirt as well, and as I had access to the required resources, I was able to create and add the aloha shirt in the line up.

——So, this project allowed you to expand the line up.

VERDY: Yes. I’m creating clothes just as an artist and I’m not a fashion designer, so I normally don’t consider making clothes from scratch. This time, I was thrilled to have had the fun and new opportunity to produce the products together.

VERDY
A graphic artist from VK DESIGN WORKS. He is the creator of Girls Don’t Cry and Wasted Youth, collaborating with brands and artists from Japan and abroad. He is one of the representatives of the contemporary fashion scene.
Instagram：@verdy

Photography Takaki Iwata
Text Ryo Tajima
Translation Ai Kaneda

The post TOKION x Wasted Youth Vol.2 VERDY’s sentiments etched in the collaboration between Wasted Youth and POSCA appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

But why has VERDY been following Häagen-Dazs avidly for a long time? And what is it that he sees in Häagen-Dazs? In fact, the answers are closely linked to VERDY’s creative origin. In this article, we unveil his thoughts embodied in the products that were produced for the event.

The realization of a long-time dream of collaborating with the brand

――How did this collaboration with Häagen-Dazs come about?

VERDY: I’ve been wanting to do a project with Häagen-Dazs for quite a while, but it was difficult to do it officially. In the past, whenever I did a project with a brand or a corporate, I’ve always asked, “is there any way I can make an item together with Häagen-Dazs?” However, it never happened. But one day, when I was walking around town thinking that creating an item with Häagen-Dazs may be impossible, I stumbled upon a display of a T-shirt made in collaboration between ADAM ET ROPÉ and Häagen-Dazs. The font of the flavor name printed on the back was different from the official one, but still, it was clearly there. So, that’s when I realized that collaborating with Häagen-Dazs was indeed possible.

――And there, you thought you got to make it happen, as you then knew that it’s possible.

VERDY: Yes. I looked in to find out who was producing the T-shirt and the name JUN—whom I had partnered with for this project—came up. So, I immediately called the person in charge and said, “I’ve been wanting to collaborate with Häagen-Dazs for so long, and I’m desperate. Is there any way to make it happen?” [laughs]. And finally, my long-coveted wish of creating a product with Häagen-Dazs came true.

The front men of my favorite bands used to work at Häagen-Dazs

――Ultimately, why did you want to collaborate with Häagen-Dazs so badly?

VERDY: The front men of my favorite bands used to work at Häagen-Dazs, and even today, if you look up on the internet, you’ll find bunch of pictures of these guys wearing a Häagen-Dazs T-shirt. The first time I found out about the bands was when I was in high school, and they were the reason that got me into music. To name those guys, one was Henry Rollins from Black Flag, and the other was Ian MacKaye from Minor Threat. There are more bands I listened to like, Bad Brains, Circle Jerks, Gang Green, and many more…. They are all basically American hardcore bands from the 80s, and I would say they are one of my roots. Coming from that background, Häagen-Dazs clothing appeared insanely cool to me.

I’d wanted to wear one, too, but Häagen-Dazs T-shirt is essentially produced in small quantities…. And when I found a vintage one, it was really expensive, as it was really rare and popular from Ian MacKaye and Henry Rollings wearing it; it was just hard to get. On top of that, Häagen-Dazs doesn’t release their items much, so there aren’t that many in the market, but that’s another reason why I wanted to produce a product with them.

――I see. And in that sense, Häagen-Dazs items are especially special for you as they also embody the music culture.

VERDY: That’s right. I now think that I should’ve worked at an ice cream shop for my first job [laughs]. It’s that good seeing Ian MacKaye and Henry Rollins wearing the shirt. They look like they’re having so much fun working in the store, and I’ve always been obsessed.

――Since you’ve brought it up, can you tell us how you got into those types of music you were mentioning earlier, and how you first discovered bands like Black Flag and Minor Threat?

VERDY: When I was in middle school to high school, the 80s hardcore punk was back in trend, and I was listening to a lot of domestic bands like BBQ Chickens, Razors Edge and Idol Punch. One day, I was talking about the kind of music I liked with this guy working at a music studio I went, who occasionally played the guitar for Idol Punch, and he lent me CDs of bands like Black Flag, Minor Threat, and Bad Brains. I instantly got into these bands. The cool part about the 80s hardcore punk scene is that the graphics of these bands are exceptionally on-point. The bands’ style of playing hardcore punk with their usual T-shirt-and-shorts attire is also fascinating. That culture is at my core. What I design today is greatly influenced by those graphics, and the messages I convey come from there as well.

I hope the products also attracted the people who genuine like Häagen-Dazs

――Now, can you tell us about the design of the products?

VERDY: As in the photos of Ian MacKaye and Henry Rollins wearing the shirt, Häagen-Dazs T-shirt has an ice cream flavor printed on the back. So, I designed the front with a simple logo of the brand and developed an original flavor for the back print. Since it’s a project with Wasted Youth, I wanted to put the word “Wasted” and thought that I should go with chocolate as it’s the closest color to my favorite color, black. And that’s how I came up with the imaginary flavor, “WASTED CHOCOLATE.”

――And why did you choose “CASSIS”?

VERDY: It’s because “CASSIS” is the flavor printed on most of the Häagen-Dazs T-shirts including the one Ian MacKaye and Henry Rollins were wearing, and I wanted one too, so I made it [laughs]. The word doesn’t relate to Wasted Youth, but I’m sure there are a lot of people out there, who aren’t interested in what I do, but want to wear a Häagen-Dazs T-shirt, so I’ve created one with the original flavor for those people. The classic version was made with Russell T-shirt, so for this collaboration, I made an original Wasted Youth tag with the design inspired from the Russell tag.

――So, this project is truly a dream come true to you.

VERDY: Yes. This time, at TOKiON the STORE, we had also released a collaboration item with POSCA, and the new Wasted Youth collection held with the theme, “I can’t waste my time anymore.” and essentially, this chain of projects was thankfully spawned from collaborating with Häagen-Dazs. It’s a special product that brought me such amazing opportunity, so I hope it attracted both the people who are curious to see what I do and the people who genuine like Häagen-Dazs.

VERDY
A graphic artist from VK DESIGN WORKS. He is the creator of Girls Don’t Cry and Wasted Youth, collaborating with brands and artists from Japan and abroad. He is one of the representatives of the contemporary fashion scene.
Instagram：@verdy

Photography Takaki Iwata
Text Ryo Tajima
Translation Ai Kaneda

The post TOKION x Wasted Youth Vol.1 VERDY’s Sentiments Embedded in His Long-Awaited Collaboration with Häagen-Dazs appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.