Introducing the 20 Japanese artists from "POKÉMON X KOGEI | Playful Encounters of Pokémon and Japanese Craft" exhibition which was on display at JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles from July 25, 2023 to January 7, 2024.
20 Artists
Eiichi Shiroma
Born 1987, Okinawa Prefecture
The Shiroma family is one of the three main families in Okinawa engaged in traditional bingata stencil-resist dyeing.* As the 16th successor, Eiichi Shiroma has endeavored to redefine bingata . He arrived at the vision of “fertile islands,” which seems to be a key concept for deepening one’s familiarity with bingata . For this project’s imagery, Shiroma drew inspiration from the tropical Alola region, one of the settings in the Pokémon video game series. The theme is “Wind of Journeys.” Embarking on a journey is an essential aspect of the Pokémon universe. The Pokémon appearing in the stenciled pattern, in which four leaves of the fragrant screw pine plant form a unit, are Pikachu, Raichu, Rowlet, Litten, Popplio, and Oricorio, the last of which inhabits each of the four islands that make up Alola. The five colors used in bingata (red, blue, yellow, green, and pink) fit the motifs splendidly, and the shading effect characteristically used to accentuate dark colors in bingata is noteworthy as well. The vigorous presence of the Pokémon is enhanced, and they seem to be soaring outward on the wind that ruffles the screw pines.
* The Bingata dyeing technique is approximately 600 years-old.
Haruo Mitsuta
Born 1980, Tottori Prefecture
Articulated metal figurines have animals as their theme. In addition to being highly realistic, they are distinctive in that their parts can be moved freely, just like actual animals’ bodies. Haruo Mitsuta is the leading articulated figurine artist carrying on the extremely rare technique today. His usual process would be to follow sketching by measuring and dissecting the creature he has chosen, but Pokémon live in a different world from our reality. "However, I can ponder them there.” In between his impression of the subject and the logic of the craft, Mitsuta “goes after the perfect balance.” His thoughts broaden, wondering if the craftsmen of the past who tackled subjects such as dragons and shachi (a mythical animal with the head of a lion and the body of a fish), which are part of the articulated figure tradition, worked in the same way. In this exhibition, he created “ Gyarados, as an articulated figurine, as a Mitsuta dragon.” The whiskers were a problem, but he concluded that it wouldn’t have been cool to have them dangling down from a movable joint. “Actually, in the past, dragons’ whiskers did not move.” Through his creative process, past and present in Mitsuta’s point of view, overlap.
Photo by Tadasu Yamamoto
Hiroki Niimi
Born 1976, Aichi Prefecture
Much of Hiroki Niimi’s work is presented in the form of installations, a word that is of course originally derived from the verb “to install.” With this approach, artists take their interests in the environment surrounding their works one step further and regard the entire space where it is exhibited as part of the work. Niimi does not normally plan out a narrative, but this time he took on the theme of Icicle Crash, a Pokémon move. The keywords he chose were “two realities”: the endless fascination of glass as a material and the thrill of being present at the site of a Pokémon move. By entering the gallery and peering into the works, visitors may be able to traverse these two experiences. Niimi anticipates that a very Japanese sense of “ mitate ” will intervene.* To enhance the precision of the “vessels” that beckon the senses, he repeatedly polished their surfaces while checking the quality of light contained in the glass. *The Japanese term “ mitate ” refers to an artistic or poetic substitution in which one thing can stand metaphorically for another.
Kasumi Ueba
Born 1978, Kyoto Prefecture
The impression made by Kasumi Ueba’s work is defined first and foremost by the overwhelming impact of the patterns. The Pokémon she chose as motifs for this exhibition are all bedecked with patterns in a variety of colors and shapes and appear as radiant presences. Surprised by this unexpected encounter, one looks closely and observes every inch of the works, and it is evident that there is a lot of interpreting and deciphering to be done here. Take Grookey, for example: It is said that Grookey uses its special stick like a musical tool to beat a rhythmic sound, which then causes the plants to grow. On the other hand, the arabesque pattern is a representation of the life force of a vine that extends forever. It seems to be an exquisite combination. In this way, many of the patterns are auspicious signs, and here, it seems to find the fundamental meaning why people seek patterns. Along with images of jubilant life with Pokémon, joyful scenes expand ever outward.
Kazumi Ikemoto
Born 1954, Kyoto Prefecture
Until now, Kazumi Ikemoto had hardly even touched a handheld game console. Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield , which he just acquired, is, Ikemoto says, the first video game he has experienced. His long period of game play, until he finally reached the Hall of Fame , was time to look, feel, and think, using a game console instead of pen, pencil, or brush. The “experience” sought in a fictional universe was a process during which Pokémon and Ikemoto, the artist, fused their world views. The setting of this work is the Galar region. The Pokémon Trainer boy and his partners — the Pokémon Ikemoto selected while playing — have all sorts of adventures while traveling from Postwick to Wyndon. The three-dimensional picture scroll, in three parts, Ikemoto created includes landmarks deeply familiar to Pokémon fans. These depictions of landscapes, so characteristic of Ikemoto, develop as a series, inviting one to an as-yet-unseen future.* * To create the images, Ikemoto blows colored enamels (powdered glass) mixed with alcohol onto the surface of the jars and then fires them to fuse the enamels to the glass.
Photo by Taku Saiki
Keiko Masumoto
Born 1982, Hyogo Prefecture
“To disrupt the master - servant relationship between vessels and their decoration”: This is a theme that Keiko Masumoto has been pursuing for many years. In the energetic and humorous works in the current exhibit, Pokémon appear to jump from the vessels, or are cut out of the forms of vessels. When Masumoto was told about the concept of this exhibition, she immediately decided on Fire- type Pokémon. According to Masumoto, “It’s a simplistic reason, but that’s because fire is inseparable from pottery.” She then began exploring the option of firing in an anagama , a type of kiln that goes back to ancient times. This was the first time Masumoto had attempted full-scale production of Shigaraki ware.* The look and form of the ceramics can easily change depending on how it is placed in the kiln and how the firewood is thrown in. The super-heavyweight Charizard was about three times as deformed as expected, but this was connected to the power of the anagama and “shows the unique charm of this type of kiln.” * Shigaraki ware is a type of pottery made in Shiga Prefecture since the 12th century.
Morihito Katsura
Born 1944, Tokyo Prefecture
When Morihito Katsura was designated a holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure) for chokin (metal engraving), the decorative metal fittings he created were particularly highly regarded. This exhibition includes Umbreon- shaped “metal fittings” with shakudo body. Shakudo is a copper and gold amalgam. When it is simmered in a chemical solution, a chemical reaction occurs, and the metal acquires a glossy blackish hue. For Umbreon, Katsura said that the gold content would be, “Five percent, absolutely!” The blackish -purple tones that the shakudo copper amalgam produces result from the action of light on the gold particles in the layer formed on its surface during the chemical reaction. With five percent gold, “Purple joins the black, and that purple is significantly brighter, for a striking effect.” Now, he just attaches the silver backplate and the obidome (sash clasp) is complete. The silver, only slightly visible, has become a contour line pulling together the rounded form. “When someone notices that rays of light might be racing along the perimeter, which is so exciting... Creating that effect is the last task.” Here we find the essence of the Japanese sense of beauty, handed down by his father, Moriyuki Katsura, who carried on the tradition of the Yanagawa school of metalwork for sword decoration.
Nobuyuki Tanaka
Born 1959, Tokyo Prefecture
In Japanese the word shikkoku , literally “ urushi lacquer black,” means black that could not be any darker. Nobuyuki Tanaka challenges us to see the Pokémon move Shadow Sneak in terms of this conception of jet-blackness. The mysterious nature of Shadow Sneak seems to overlap with a primal fear of total darkness. However, shadows fundamentally have no substance, while craft is an art form that grows out of research into physical materials. What bridges the gap between the two is the psychological effect of viewing urushi , and this is the fact and fiction of urushi that Tanaka has been pursuing for many years. Viewers of this monumental work over two meters high may feel dizzy at the elusiveness of the phenomenon in their field of vision. The transparency peculiar to urushi ’s materiality beckons the viewer’s gaze deep into the blackness, making it impossible to gauge distance. The glossy coating of the surface layer makes it difficult even to determine the outline of the work. The work is deliberately untitled, and the uncertainty of having no name leaves infinite room for imagination.
Reiko Sudo
Born 1953, Ibaraki Prefecture
Among the charms of fabrics produced by NUNO, of which Reiko Sudo is design director, is their abundance of imagination. During our first meeting to discuss this exhibition, Sudo’s sensors were on full alert, and she was fully engaged with the project immediately. She made many keen observations about Pokémon that caught her eye in the Pokédex. She noted the visual characteristics of various species and their unique moves and types, and succeeded in weaving together a variety of images for “Pokémon x Textiles.” The motif eventually decided upon was Pikachu, which Sudo had repeatedly seen and admired as “so kawaii [cute], really adorable.” While proposals for other Pokémon motifs were drawn up, from material and technique to exhibition plan, Sudo was motivated by the desire to convey the appeal of Pikachu through textiles: “After all, it’s so kawaii !” Incidentally, the word “motif” is etymologically derived from the Latin motivus (to move). Kawaii fever seems to have spread to everyone involved in the production and helped propel their motivation to maximize the quality of the work.* *For Pikachu’s Forest, a needle lace technique was used. The NUNO team turned their original drawings into two-dimensional forms using kiri-e (decorative paper cutting), which were then made into pixel art at the factory. The design was machine-stitched onto a sheet of fabric made of lime, which dissolved when rinsed, leaving only the delicate lace ribbon.
Photo by Masayuki Hayashi
Sadamasa Imai
Born 1989, Kyoto Prefecture
Sadamasa Imai creates in a style often described as realistic. Imai says, however, “That is not my key word. I express the ‘essence' of the motif.” That is his main point. Imai builds the essence extracted from his motif. That makes the viewer recall fragments of memory, connect them together and experience what his work is about. An interplay of images occurs through the work, bringing surprise and enjoyment of discovery. Imai’s working style begins with hand building, then trimming and correcting the body, adding more clay, and finishing the work. He makes it clear that he is thinking about his object in the “plus work of adding clay.” For his work in this exhibition, Imai seemed to enjoy making the details of the Venusaur’s mouth quite a bit. While looking at every corner of his work, we are overwhelmed by the shading, drifting with the unevenness of the skin. If we met this Venusaur, having been led there by the aroma wafting from its flower. . . Facing its dignified appearance, one’s heart rings with a story that is one’s own.*
Photo by Tsuneo Horide
Saori Mizuhashi
Born 1975, Kanagawa Prefecture
Saori Mizuhashi’s love of the kimono is inherited from her grandmother. At a junior college that offered training in crafts, she thought that yuzen textiles, which were only discussed in the classroom, with no hands-on training, were remarkably attractive. After graduation, she studied at a technical school that provided comprehensive education about the kimono. There she tackled her first yuzen project. Among the processes involved in its creation, adding color to a pattern is called "yuzen." At the moment when the pigment with which the brush is filled permeated the silk ground, Mizuhashi’s heart was stirred. “Could there really be something this lovely? It appeared, glowing.” Her memory of that moment is the attraction that directs Mizuhashi to creating, even now. When we asked, what part of the process she liked best, Mizuhashi said, without hesitation, “Applying the lines of paste.” Her work, Kimono, “Herd,” yuzen dyeing , has a pattern that appears, when seen from a distance, to be filled with flowers, but a closer look reveals great gatherings of images of Mareep and Flaaffy. The extremely fine white lines that express the soft contours of each Pokémon, their various expressions, and their swirling fleece all resulted from traces of lines of paste Mizuhashi applied.
Shigeki Hayashi
Born 1972, Gifu Prefecture
Shigeki Hayashi has always held the ideal that his work would become “a global common language, one that transcends country, culture, or period.” Pokémon has achieved global popularity, spanning borders, languages, and age groups. Strongly interested in that development, Hayashi pondered “universal values that can be shared, overcoming cultural backgrounds.” It is not, however, easy to have different visions coexisting in one work. After many struggles, he arrived at “play” as his viewpoint. In addition, Hayashi overlaps the meaning of play with the Japanese term yohaku (blank space), a keen insight that provides us with a valuable key to experiencing the fascination of this work. All sorts of equipment cover the body perfectly and give a sense of outstanding capabilities. The outfit of the, “Moonlight,” Pokémon Edition , is the fruit of the playfulness that Hayashi directed at the Pokémon world. Upon seeing this special suit, Pokémon Trainers are free to imagine themselves wearing it... Is it the wind blowing across a vast field that makes the scarf flutter? Worlds of imagination open up, one for every viewer who stands before this pure white glow.
Photo by Tomoya Nomura
Taiichiro Yoshida
Born 1989, Tokyo Prefecture
Taichiro Yoshida took on the challenge of creating Eevee and its original three Evolutions. Why Eevee? “ Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green are memorable to me.” It is also important to note that the various Evolutions of Eevee connect to the copper that is Yoshida’s material. Here, the color and gloss of pure copper is showcased to the fullest in Eevee. Further chemical changes were used to produce bronze for Vaporeon, gold and silver gilding for Jolteon, and a traditional scarlet patina called hido for Flareon. The black used for the ears and other parts is also due to the sulfurization of copper. In addition to their types, Pokémon are accompanied by various stories. Yoshida therefore took on the challenge of examining the material and thinking about the internal nature of the four Pokémon he chose, noting that even their casual appearances conceal hidden meanings. The glass cloisonné, which he used to create the largest eyeballs he has ever made, is infused with fluid light, delivering the joy of engaging with the creatures’ inner thoughts.
Photo by Hiroaki Shinohara
Takuro Kuwata
Born 1981, Hiroshima Prefecture
The motif that Takuro Kuwata chose for his artwork is a contemporary icon: Pikachu. "I felt it had to be Pikachu applied to the cup made while pursuing what could be called the acme, today, of Gifu’s mass production technology,” a comment filled with his respect. The lean body is formed on a “power machine.” He has thoroughly examined the vessel as a contemporary standard, to be comparable to the symbolism of Pikachu. Then the colorful slip, the thick glaze, the gleam of gold and platinum pigments — the diversity is displayed. Finally, Pikachu, applied using the latest transfer printing technique. The richness with which the cups brim with every repetition of the process is, however, undoubtedly to be received directly, without the need to consult a ceramics dictionary. The knowledge and experience of the Mino ceramics production center are mobilized in this work and form its backbone. In the cuteness of Pikachu, gushing forth like a fountain from the bottom of the cup, we can trace the enthusiasm of Japanese craftsmanship.
Photo by Koho Kotake
Terumasa Ikeda
Born 1987, Chiba Prefecture
Terumasa Ikeda's theme is “information.” This was because he thought of it as “invisible (in concrete form), but in the current era it is a source of nourishment for people’s hearts and minds.” To express this “invisible” thing he chose raden , a decorative technique in which the nacreous layers of turban shells, abalone, and pearl oysters are ground into a plate-like form and affixed to urushi lacquer. In Ikeda’s work, minuscule geometric shapes and numerals cover the entire surfaces of containers. Using this technique, which evokes signals instantaneously running through the brain, he created four works for the exhibition. There is a sense of excitement akin to that of selecting one’s first partner Pokémon in the Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue , or of engaging with the “trading” system. The drama of Mewtwo, created through genetic engineering. The mystery of Unown, which seems to take on layers of meaning as you gaze at it. The wonders of the Poké Ball to catch Pokémons of any size. The luminous stimulus of raden awakens memories, captivating the viewer’s eyes and heart.
Photo by Akifumi Nakagawa
Toru Fukuda
Born 1994, Hokkaido Prefecture
Inlaid woodwork ( mokuzogan ) involves hand-cutting wood and inlaying it. Toru Fukuda began working with the technique when he was a student at an arts and crafts high school. It seemed to him that the variously colored pieces of wood could also be used for paintings, and he “felt comfortable with the repetitive, puzzle -like process” of carving a piece of wood for the body and then fitting other pieces of wood into it. After learning traditional sashimono techniques in Kyoto, he began practicing inlaid woodwork in earnest around the age of 20. While this technique is generally used for two-dimensional compositions, Fukuda has developed it as a three-dimensional art form. In After Rain , the parts patterned with wings on the Pokémon called Beautifly are carved with slightly different curvatures according to the position where they are to be fitted, infusing the thin and delicate piece with a supple sense of vitality.
Yasuyoshi Komiya
Born 1982, Tokyo Prefecture
Edo komon is a type of fine stencil dyeing, in which the elements of composition are point, line, and plane. The designs are extraordinarily small, so that, viewed from a distance, the fabric appears to be plain colored cloth. Come closer, however, and a world of motifs, amazingly fully developed, unfolds. Speaking of the Pokémon designs and Edo komon , “They’re just alike. I should make komon of them,” Yasuyoshi Komiya chose Foongus, Amoonguss, and Galarian Stunfisk. Galarian Stunfisk is a Pokémon that Komiya met in a game. It appears as a Poké Ball, half buried in the ground. But wait — it has a beak, and once it leaps out and sinks its jagged teeth into something, it won’t let go. The shape of the three hills might be a Stunfisk motif or leaves or maybe someone’s footprint! Though it would be scary to wander around the Trap Pokémon's habitat, it's hard not to grin at the witty setup, with eyes glued on the Galarian Stunfisk.
Photo by Masatomo Moriyama
Yoshiaki Taguchi
Born 1958, Tokyo Prefecture
This exhibition is the place where the visions of 20 artists burst forth as they each uniquely express their style on the subject of Pokémon. But this exciting mission made Yoshiaki Taguchi deeply consider this. “What direction should I go with this subject?” says Taguchi, wondering how he could capture the humor of a Pokémon Battle. His art medium (or type, to use the Pokémon term), is urushi lacquer. The techniques that make the most effective use of urushi ’s fascination are kyushitsu , applying lacquer to a vessel, and maki-e and raden , sprinkled pictures and mother- of- pearl inlay. The word “kyu” by itself can mean applying urushi . Maki-e is a decoration technique in which a design is drawn in urushi on the surface of a vessel or other work and metallic powder is placed in a tube and sprinkled on it, so that it attaches to the still-moist urushi . It was Moltres that was chosen as the motif for the natsume or jujube-shaped tea container. Taguchi sprinkled gold powder on the main color of the body and aluminum powder, colored with vermillion, to the head and the flames rising from the head and wings. The lines drawn with the maki-e brush are not visible directly; it is “a fight in earnest, line by line.” That is a phrase Taguchi learned from his father, Yoshikuni Taguchi who was designated a “Living National Treasure” for maki-e , and which he will never forget.
Yuki Hayama
Born 1961, Saga Prefecture
Yuki Hayama was born in Arita , Saga, one of Japan’s leading ceramics production areas, and began working for a ceramics manufacturing company at the age of 15. On a job requiring mass production, the rigors of the job were very severe. However, Hayama recalls, the experience he went through before starting his own business at the age of 23 helped him build a “body made for work,” and this underpins the exquisite artistry that characterizes his work today. Vase with Pokémon of the Universe is a spherical vessel that makes you want to take its abundant fullness in your hands. The alas alasan pattern*, also known as calico, comprises plants and animals nurtured by the forest. Hayama’s Universe series is inspired by this primal drive, and now it appears in Pokémon x Kogei. The surface of the vase is covered with countless plants and over 500 Pokémon. The way in which the different species are rendered in perfect harmony, while scrupulously kept separate, seems to let us in on a secret about the original source of life.
* A pattern that derives from Balinese textiles
Yuki Tsuboshima
Born 1987, Tokyo Prefecture
A “transformable ornament” is a small metallic object that can change its form to another motif by moving its parts. Both the mechanism and the Japanese name for it were conceived by Yuki Tsuboshima himself. Here two Pokémon, Rookidee and Corviknight, are coexisting in one transformable ornament. It was netsuke that inspired Tsuboshima to work on transformable ornaments.* A netsuke has to bear the weight of the portable object it is fastening, while swinging. And it also requires the assumption that, as an accessory worn on the body, it can be attached and removed. To avoid damage and parts getting snared on clothing, he decided that “all the fine parts should be put inside,” and took up the challenge. That was the start of incorporating the form with the logic of his transformative patterns. Tsuboshima’s work is of course intriguing for its intricacies, but the way that the individual parts and mechanisms need to work is also fascinating. The small body of Transformable Ornament, Rookidee/Corviknight is made of fifty-some parts. It conceals all sorts of suggestions for thinking about the craft. * A netsuke is a type of fastener, usually a small sculpture, used when hanging a tobacco pouch or an inro (a tiered container) from the obi sash.
Presented by JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles
Curatorial Supervision National Crafts Museum
With support from The Pokémon Company The Pokémon Company International
Media Sponsors
Promotional Partners
*Visit the Exhibition Webpage for Full Credit List
©2023 Pokémon. ©1995-2023 Nintendo/Creatures Inc./GAME FREAK inc. TM, ®, and character names are trademarks of Nintendo.
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