Takashi Murakami Animated Lifesize Sculpture in Nakano, Tokyo

 

Takashi Murakami, a well known contemporary artist, has a strong presence in Nakano Broadway. Along with a coffee shop, he runs multiple galleries on the 2nd, 3rd, and floors.

One such space, which is used for presentations and other events, was recently transformed. The interior was decked out with Murakami;s signature flower design. And at the entrance was an eerily lifelike statue of the artist with hobbit-like feet and an animated twist. Here are more pics, followed by a video.

 More after the jump:

Art of Godzilla - Yuji Kaida Exhibition + Signing 開田裕治 原画展

In Ginza, Cheepa's Gallery has an ongoing exhibition of the works of fantasy and kaiju artist extraordinaire Yuji Kaida ( 開田裕治). The show is entitled Art of Godzilla: Kaida Yuji Original Exhibition. On display are dozens of works by Kaida-san, a commercial artist who has created images for books, magazines, and comics (including Dark Horse's Gamera), as well as packaging artwork for video games such as Sega's Snatcher and Daimakaimura - aka Ghouls 'n Ghosts. He has also provided the packaging artwork for numerous toy lines, including Zoids, Gundam, Macross, and of course Godzilla.

The show wraps on May 6, so to put a cap on the festivities, the gallery hosted Kaida-san for a signing session. The core of the kaiju-themed exhibition is a display of fantastic works by Kaida-san of Godzilla, Mothra, Gigan, and others. There's also a shop selling exclusive toy releases by Marusan (including a lovely blank GID 450 series Godzilla), in addition to post cards, cloth prints, and a new book featuring Kaida-san's art.

Photography was largely restricted, but I was able to take some shots.

Poster advertising Kaida-san's new book.

Two of the post card sets for sale.

 More after the jump:

Wonder Festival 2012 (Winter) / ワンダーフェスティバル 2012［冬］ Part 5 Exhibitions

Next in Kaiju Korner's coverage of Winter 2012 Wonder Festival, we move on to exhibitions. At every WF, a giant hall is set aside for exhibitions from major toy companies like Kaiyodo and Medicom, as well as art exhibitions, talk shows, and live concerts.

Here's a look at some of the exhibitions from this year's show:

Kaiyodo

 More after the jump:

Ultraman Art Exhibit in Nagasaki + US Toys exclusives!

The Ultraman art movement keeps a chuggin! Whoever is putting on these shows is really spreading the love all over Japan. Up now is an exhibit of Ultraman art at the Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum. The show runs through March 31. Click here for the show's webpage.

This show features more than 400 works, including photos, design work, toys, etc. Plus there are exclusive goodies for sale, including two figures from US Toys:

Windom 

Size:９0mm

　Price ２５００円

Pegira

Size:　85mm

　 Price　￥２１００ 　

 

Windom is a new mecha beastie to me. I did some info trawling and found the below pic:

Windom is awesome!!

Art Tarot Exhibition @ Few Many

Few Many is currently hosting an exhibition of tarot-inspired illustrations. The event, which runs through July 17, contains 44 works. Some are by names familiar to the toy world: Hariken, Devilrobots, Kaijin, and Touma.

Perhaps the most striking thing about the exhibition is its diversity. Clearly they've pulled together artists from many backgrounds working in different media. That's reflected in the art on display, so you have pen and ink drawings, paintings, digital art, etc. Some pieces take a fine art bent, while others are more pop or kawaii.

Here are more shots from the show:

 More after the jump:

Monsters Showcase featuring Rockin Jelly Bean and Sketch

Tonight was the opening reception for Monsters Showcase, a two-man show featuring monster themed artwork by Rockin Jelly Bean (the creative force behind Erostika) and Sketch, a fine artist of prodigious talent. The show is being held at Sunday Issue, a bar totin' gallery in Shibuya that's just a few minutes' walk from Shibuya station.

There are 23 pieces in the show, ranging from 250,000-600,00 yen each. (The average is around 300,000.)

Lots of pics after the jump: