INTANGIBILITY by LAID BUG
The lineup includes BIEN, Nico Ito, Yushi Arimura, and Yusuke Isao, alongside Toshifumi Kiuchi, director of LAID BUG, who has long created graphics for our collection.
Completing the lineup, Hikaru Takata and Yutaro Ishikawa, both of whom have exhibited extensively at LAID BUG, bringing the total to seven distinctive artists.
This exhibition will showcase Japanese artists whose diverse perspectives span photography, graphic design, painting, and mixed media. Together, their works challenge traditional perceptions of Japanese art and culture, offering a fresh lens on its richness and variety.
We are thrilled to present this group exhibition at HVW8 in Berlin, a space that has been a lasting source of inspiration. We can't wait for everyone to experience it.
To celebrate the occasion, the launch party will take place from 6pm-9pm featuring an exclusive zine marking LAID BUG's 6th anniversary and will be released alongside a selection of limited edition apparel featuring artworks from the participating artists.
LOCATION & OPENING HOURS:
HVW8 Gallery, Linienstraße 161, 10115 Berlin, Germany
Tuesday: 2pm - 7pm
Wednesday: 2pm - 7pm
Thursday: 2pm - 7pm
Friday: 2pm - 7pm
Saturday: 2pm - 7pm
BIEN (b.1993)
A Tokyo-based artist that uses abstract line drawing influenced by animation and street culture as a prime means of expression, he works across multiple media such as paintings, videos, sculptures, instructions and installations. Through his works, the artist attempts to unravel the world full of immutable materials and illusions we have created; images and fictions.
NICO ITO
Born in Tokyo in 1996, she graduated from the Department of Spatial Design at Musashino Art University. Now a freelance illustrator and graphic designer, she brings fantastical worlds to life through her creative work.
YUSUKE ISAO
Born in 1983, he initially explored independent filmmaking as a student, working with film. He later pursued freelance film production before shifting his focus back to analog techniques. Embracing monochrome pointillism, he developed it into his signature style.
YUSHI ARIMURA
A Japanese photographer born in 1983, based in Kagoshima, Japan. His work is known for capturing fleeting moments in everyday life with a focus on his surroundings. Arimura's photography blends a spontaneous, point-and-shoot style, highlighting the beauty of the mundane. His work has been featured in various exhibitions, including his solo show "Ambient Reflections" at LAID BUG in Tokyo. Arimura gained recognition with the Japan Photo Award in 2021 and has collaborated with various creative projects, including producing images for fashion collections.
TOSHIFUMI KIUCHI
A Tokyo-based designer and the head of the gallery & creative studio LAID BUG, Toshifumi Kiuchi works across the realms of music, art, fashion, and culture, producing design and artwork. His activities range from directing advertising visuals and spatial decorations, to VJ performances at parties and live events, and running a gallery. Moving between the fields of design and art, as well as the commercial and non-commercial spheres, Kiuchi uses graphic work as a foundation to explore various mediums, exposing the imperfections of socially recognized icons.
HIKARU TAKATA
An artist who engages with urban exploration, fieldwork documentation, and introspective reflection on personal memories. "The foundation of my work lies in continuous yet irregular urban interventions, which I carry out using various methodologies. I use the records related to these actions and personal memories, emotions, and thoughts as materials for my creations. This practice is part of ongoing training that helps me recognize the connection between the internal space and the external, cosmic space. It is through this recognition that I aim to capture their essence".
YUTARO ISHIKAWA
He spent his childhood in America and began his creative work in 2018. In Ishikawa’s work, clothing plays a crucial role as a material. He is particularly interested in aspects of clothing beyond its function of being "worn."
In 2021, he was selected in an art contest hosted by the Danish fashion brand GANNI with an art piece themed around “clothing and smell.” His work was exhibited at GANNI's flagship store in Copenhagen in December of the same year. In May 2023, he held his solo exhibition “Punch-Drunk” at LAID BUG, followed by “GHOST” in October 2024.