Tag: Japan

Creativity

Japanese chapel architecture inspired by hands in prayer

You don't expect to stumble upon incredible architecture on a random walk through the woods. Yet, the Sayama Forest Chapel exists and delivers just that. The three-year-old building, designed by Hiroshi Nakamura &...

By Umar Ansari · Sep. 03, 2018

Art

Japan's disastrous 2011 events depicted in giant watercolor paintings

In 2011, the Pacific coast of Tōhoku, Japan, was shaken up by an earthquake and tsunami, causing fatal damage that the world will never forget. The tragic events left a mark in Japanese artist Hiroshige Kagawa's memory, making...

By Adomas Vasiliauskas · Aug. 09, 2018

Art

One of a kind art laboratory aims to restore traditional methods

Science laboratories exist in abundance around the world, but Pigment is not your ordinary lab. Recently opened in Tokyo, Japan, Pigment is a new concept art supply laboratory and store. Kengo Kuma was the architect in charge...

By Umar Ansari · Aug. 03, 2018

Video

Gravity-defying short film set in Osaka will blow your mind

Christopher Nolan’s smash-hit film “Inception” brought physics-defying building effects to the mainstream. And now an artist collective has take it one step forward. AUJIK is a collaborative studio of artists...

By Umar Ansari · Jul. 28, 2018

Unique

Intricate geometric carvings on fruits and vegetables that would stop you from eating them

Mukimono, a traditional practice in Japan, is the astonishing art of carving out shapes, even faces, on various fruits and vegetables. It is extremely time-delicate as discoloration of the piece can start once it is gutted or peeled...

By Mariza Monta · Jul. 15, 2018

News

Future of fashion: solar-powered coat made by COMME des GARÇONS alumnus can charge all your electronic devices

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to have access to a charging station all the time even if you’re in the middle of literally nowhere? Junya Watanabe just made that possible. And he’s even nice enough to let you wear it. The futuristic,...

By Mariza Monta · Jul. 01, 2018

Art

50,000 donated keys suspended above old wooden boats at the 2015 Venice Biennale

Artist Chiharu Shiota revealed an amusing installation under the title, "The Key in the Hand," at the 2015 Venice Biennale. The installation is essentially a web of scattered old wooden boats, each hosting a network of 50,000...

By Umar Ansari · Jun. 15, 2018

Design

11 manga-inspired porcelain dishes from Japan

Looking for a unique gift for that otaku friend of yours? These manga-inspired porcelain dishes by award-winning Japanese designer Mika Tsutai, of Comicalu, will definitely make a great option. Each rectangular dish is a close-up...

By Nhan Tran · May. 19, 2018

Photography

The photographic poetry of birds perched on a wire

Photographer Yoshinori Mizutani has also looked to these highly perched birds for a photographic series titled Kawau. The black and white photographs use minimalist compositions to capture the birds that have perched along...

By Steph Guinan · May. 02, 2018

Illustration

Tokyo artist 'speed sketches' interesting people and places around him. He's QUICK!

You better watch your back for talented artists who love to people-watch. They're creatively dangerous. Don't believe me? Take Japanese artist Hama-House for example. He sits there, chilling in cafes and parks, speed-sketching unsuspecting...

By Umar Ansari · Apr. 08, 2018

Graphic Design

Cosmic art collages created from Macbook screenshots

Japanese artist Toru Izumida utilizes the screenshot as an artistic tool to stitch together collages from web-based media. He puts together unexpected combinations of images of nature, mysterious stock-image women, and psychedelic...

By Nhan Tran · Mar. 24, 2018

Design

Where’s Waldo? Spot him on these graphic t-shirts!

Japanese clothing label Graniph recently unleashed their latest collection of limited edition t-shirts featuring the classic children's book 'Where's Waldo'. First published in 1987 by English artist Martin Handford, the...

By Nhan Tran · Mar. 08, 2018

Creativity

Ice cream eaters carve fun face-melting creations in their cups

A Japanese ice-cream brand is inspiring the food artist in everyone with a fun surprise in some of their ice-cream cups. Panapp infuses dots of flavor into their cold treats, but sometimes that flavor makes the shape of a smiley face....

By Justin Crowe · Mar. 05, 2018

Creativity

Bizarre art decor for the modern home

Art director Rikako Nagashima recently teamed up with acrylic crafter Hideto Hyoudou on a project called 'Mizukagami,' which means “Water Mirror” in Japanese. The series consists of liquid-looking acrylic mirrors that...

By J Hudson · Feb. 15, 2018

Digital

Amusingly cute GIFs illustrating comical life situations

Hama House, a Japanese illustrator, creates GIFs to demonstrate and capture the anxieties and comical moments of everyday modern life with an offbeat, tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. Mixing dreams and reality, his cleanly animated...

By Nhan Tran · Feb. 12, 2018