curioswitch has been assisting the branding of Tiger Thermos's new product for Europe: MahoNabé for a while now, but for this project, we are lucky to announce that we have designed an art piece to be installed in Tiger's new building.
We would like to introduce some of Tiger Thermos's unique exhibitions as well as the luxurious, welcoming floor lobby.
Takashi Kuribayashi「Roots of Tiger」
The first piece is a glass sculpture by Takashi Kuribayashi. It is a chandelier made of dozens of huge blown glass strands that resemble tree roots.
The biggest challenge in creating this piece was to design the glass roots as accurate as Kuribayashi's sketch as possible. Lattermost, Kenji Ito, who runs the glass studio "Sai" in Karuizawa, has helped us to create it by blowing glass and finishing it off with burner work.
The lampshade inside the chandelier symbolizes Tiger Thermos's roots, as it is made out of a glass bottle that is used in its products.
Title Roots of Tiger
Artist Name Takashi Kuribayashi
Year of creation 2020
Materials Blown glass, glass bottle, lighting
Cooperation Kenji Ito (glass blowing)
Location Entrance on the 1st floor
Ryo Shinagawa「虎に無患子図」
The second piece is a painting by Mr. Ryo Shinagawa, in which Konoe was able to collaborate. In creating this work, Mr. Shinagawa got permission to observe Konoe Tanyu's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" at Nanzenji Temple up close. By incorporating Andy Warhol's silkscreen technique which depicts endangered tigers, he successfully portrays the harmony between the East and West, and the scarcity of tigers. The first verse refers to the scenery depicted in the painting, and the second verse wishes that the time spent together will last forever.
Title A tiger and a wild boar *Mukuroji = wild boar
Artist: Shinagawa Ryo, Praise: Konoe Tadahiro
Year of creation 2020
Materials: Painting Japanese paper, mineral pigments, ink, shell white, gold leaf, glue, acrylic, wooden panel
Praise Japanese paper, gold leaf, ink
Location of Exhibition 5F Lobby of the reception desk
It was a great honor for curioswitch to be involved in this project with Tiger Thermos that will soon celebrate its 100th anniversary, as our vision is to generate value that will last for 100, 1000 years.
We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone at Tiger Thermos
If you have a chance to visit their new building, we hope you will take the time to appreciate the artwork as well.
＜Author Information＞
Takashi Kuribayashi
Born in Nagasaki, Japan in 1968. After graduating from Musashino Art University in 1993, he moved to Germany, and studied in the Department of Fine Arts at the Kassel University of Art and Design. He received his Meisterschuler from the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf in 2002 and graduated from the same university in 2003. He has been living in Yogyakarta, Indonesia since 2013, and has been a visiting professor at Musashino Art University since 2016.
Main Solo Exhibitions
2018 "We HAVE DECIDED NOT TO DIE yodabeimarco.", Düsseldorf, Germany
2017 " CAN NOT SEE DO NOT WANT TO SEE PRAY", Ark Galerie Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2016 Hermes Window Display, Singapore, Singapore
2015 Deadline Art Front Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2013 Terres Hold Cerasal Snario Art Space, Bandung, Indonesia
2012 Water >|< Wasser exhibition, Towada Museum of Contemporary Art, Aomori, Japan
Major group exhibitions
2020 DOMANI, Tomorrow 2020, The National Art Center, Tokyo, Japan
2019 Art Bali Kuba, Bali, Indonesia
2019 Setouchi International Art Festival 2020, Ibukijima, Kagawa, Japan
2018 LEBENSWEGE, Kasseler Kunstverein Fridericianum Museum Kassel, Germany
2018 "Japonisme 2018: Resonating Souls" "Enfance/Childhood", Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France
2017 Japan-Spirits of nature, Nordiska Akvarellmuseet Sweden
2017 North Alps International Art Festival, Nagano, Japan
2016 RAID 8, GALERIA RAQUEL ARNAUD, Sao Paulo, Brazil
2016 Painting Beyond the Plane: Installation and Japanese Painting Sensibility, Musashino Art University Museum and Library, Tokyo, Japan
2015 Spectrum Exhibition, Spiral Garden Aoyama, 30th Anniversary Exhibition, Tokyo, Japan
2015 After Fukushima: Japanese Art, RMIT Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
2014 Sapporo International Art Festival, Sapporo, Japan
2014 Ichihara Art Mix Triennial, Chiba, Japan
2013 SEA Triennale, Jakarta, Indonesia
2012 Mediation Biennial, Poznan, Poland
2010 Nature Sense Exhibition, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
2006 Singapore Biennale, Singapore
Main Residence Projects
2016 Fidalga Art Space Residence Project, Sao Paulo, Brazil
2014-2015 Agency for Cultural Affairs Overseas Study Residency Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2013 Cerasal Sunario Art Center, Bandung, Indonesia
2013 Chelsea Art of London London, UK
2009 Art Sonju Center Seoul, South Korea
2008 Creator Residency Tokyo Wonder Site Aoyama, Tokyo, Japan
Awards
2011 Yoshinobu Ashihara Award
Ryo Shinagawa
Born in Osaka in 1987. Shinagawa aims to run through the idea of "Japanese paintings," which has been suspended by the "Nihonga". Shinagawa wishes to incorporate modern art techniques and freshness to traditional forms of art, however also understands the significance of traditional structures. Shinagawa successfully integrates traditional Japanese painting materials such as mineral pigments and foil, and integrating styles such as Yamatoe, Rimpa, and Kanoha.
Main solo exhibitions
2020 Nature's first green is gold, Tsutaya, Ginza, Tokyo
2020 Deep Sea, un petit garage, Tokyo, Japan
2020 GOLD, WHITE AND BLACK, AIR Kamonasu, Kyoto, Japan
2018 Apotic Utopia, Anteroom Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
2015 SHINAGAWA RYO solo exhibition, Kyoto Artistic Center, Kyoto, Japan
Main Group Exhibitions
2020 Shikan Suiha - Art in the Centennial Forest, Meiji Jingu Newseum, Tokyo
2020 VOLTA New York, Metroporitan West New York
2019 ART FAIR TOKYO, Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo, Japan
2019 ARTISTS' FAIR KYOTO, Kyoto Bunka Museum Kyoto, Japan
2019 One Art Taipei, Taipei Northwest Hotel, Taipei, Taiwan
2018 November island, winwin art Kaohsiung, Taiwan
2018 Contemporary Talents of Japan, Ronin gallery, New York
2017 Spoon Art Show, KINTEX Exhibition Center, Seoul, Korea
2017 Taiwan Annual, Taiwan Expo Taipei, Taiwan
2016 insecure tied land, frees art space, Taipei, Taiwan
2016 the international art exchange exhibition, HoMA Seoul, Korea
2016 Jitto, anne mosseri-marlio galerie Basel, Switzerland
Awards
2015 Director's Encouragement Prize, Kyoto Exhibition, Kyoto City Art Museum, Kyoto, Japan
Tadahiro Konoe, Creative Director
Born in Tokyo in 1970. Although he was born as the eldest son of the Konoe family, whose ancestor was Fujiwara Kamatari, he is trilingual and spent his childhood in Switzerland. After graduating from Musashino Art University, he worked in a wide range of production fields at TV stations and production companies, and was involved in many international projects, such as marketing in Japan for foreign companies and branding for Japanese companies overseas, thanks to his language skills. At the same time, he is also involved in activities to promote and pass on traditional Japanese culture, such as serving as a lecturer for the Imperial Household Agency's Shikibu (ceremonial office) and as a trustee of the Yomei Bunko Foundation.