A celebratory showcase for Fukuoka’s international creative community. Now Lounge returns for a special night of culture and communication at Hotel Il Palazzo.
The second “Creative Community” was held on May 21 at the same snazzy venue, Hotel Il Palazzo as was the first one was back in October 2009. Once again the works of a dozen local foreign and Japanese artists appeared on large screens while guests enjoyed DJ sounds, drinks and chatting. All the artists were present so it was an ideal chance to speak directly with them. In addition to the exhibitions we had a live painting performance by Macarena Olivera and live music by Peter Bertrand. Just over 640 guests attended – so it was a smashing success! Read more about the artists and check-out their portfolios are below.
See our report from the previous Creative Community event. Held in Oct. 2009
Hotel Il Palazzo
May 21, Sat., 20:00 ~ 01:00
¥3,000 at the door with 2/drinks
Advance tickets online or at hotel until Thu. May 19
Il Palazzo
3-13-1 Haruyoshi, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
Tel: 092-716-3333
VISUAL ARTISTS
Vlad Alukhanov
Vlad Alukhanov is currently studying design at Kyushu University. Growing up in Moscow, he was more inspired by graphic and packaging design than by the city’s underwhelming art scene. He started using digital media, which allows him to explore his fascination with production and reproduction. He cites Andy Warhol as a major influence, as well as urbanism, graffiti and travel.
Collettivo Latrones
Collettivo Latrones is a collective of graphic designers, photographers and narrators from Italy, represented tonight by Simone Paoli. Collettivo use direct visual media to depict the harsh reality of life in southern Italy and the wider state of national decay. Using photographs, images, and “graphic journalism”, they raise awareness of Italian social problems worldwide.
Nathan Dawson
Nathan Dawson grew up in rural New South Wales, Australia. As a child, he was inspired to draw by the illustrations he discovered in MAD Magazine. In 2009 and 2010, his artwork was selected for the NIKA Design Awards. This year has seen exhibitions of his work in Kumamoto and Oita, with further collaborative shows scheduled for the summer.
Ekin
Ekin.Artist is a stencil artist from France. He is a graduate of Ecole National des Arts Décoratifs at Limoges and specialises in his own unique pop art style. He has participated in numerous exhibitions, live painting shows and wall/fresco painting projects. He has also worked on product packaging and T-shirt design. His comic book Futsuuman recently entered its third series.
Tyler MacBeth
Tyler MacBeth is a fine arts photographer from Salt Lake City in the United States. He works as a freelance photographer and English teacher, while continuing his university education. In his work, he combines traditional photographic techniques with other print-making processes. He enjoys mixing a variety of mediums, from cyanotype to screen printing to digital graphics.
Elida Maria Matsumoto
Elida is an artist, art educator and art therapist born in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In her own words, her works “play as a triggering environment for connecting and moving inner and outer seeing.” She makes use of mixed media to create alternative spaces and illusory images. Her art and healing performance “Enabling Vibe” promotes expression and health in art.
Jiro Ochiai
Jiro Ochiai is a multidiscipline designer and media producer. In 1993 he established the indie record label “gauche-Product”. He also founded the free paper, “●●●IN‐DY”, worked as a radio DJ, a photographer, produced a comic series called “indigo waltz” and started a music label called “nnp”for Nishnihon newspaper. He is currently working on a new project called Ⓡ”vvaltz”.
Simon Oxley
Simon Oxley is a British designer/illustrator who has lived in Fukuoka since 2003. He runs his own successful design studio, Idokungfoo and is most famous for designing the bird illustration used on Twitter’s home page and the logo for iStockphoto.com, where he has 8,000 images for sale. He is also the mastermind behind Fukuoka Now’s new mascot F-Man.
Motohiro Shirakawa (Koo-ki Co., Ltd)
Motohiro Shirakawa is a visual director who works for the production company, Koo-ki. His children’s animations “Pittanko!” and “Mr. Shape” have been screened at domestic and international film festivals. He has been singled out for special praise at events such as The New York International Children’s Film Festival and the Hiroshima International Animation Festival.
Takako Takeuchi
Takako Takeuchi produces installation pieces based on the theme of “musubi” (joining). She uses clothes soaked in wax in her work. Her pieces have regularly been big enough for observers to walk through but she has recently produced smaller artworks. With her base here in Fukuoka, she is active both within Japan and abroad and holds many workshops throughout the year.
Michelle Zacharias
Michelle Zacharias was born in Canada in 1966. She graduated with an honours degree in Fine Arts from the University of Manitoba. She has participated in exhibitions in Winnipeg, Chiba, Tokyo, Kyoto, Shimonoseki, and Kitakyushu. Ms. Zacharias works primarily in intaglio, a kind of printmaking that includes etchings, and, more recently, coloured pencil.
PERFORMERS
Peter Bertrand
Originally from Massachusetts in the USA, Peter has been in Japan for 8 months. He describes his music as soulful and somewhere in between folk and rock music. Before teaching himself how to play guitar, Peter played the drums for many years and this background lends his music a percussive quality. He plays original compositions and does not imitate other musicians.
DJ ‘H’
Humphrey hails from Suffolk, UK and has performed at clubs in Fukuoka since 1994. He lived in Karatsu, Saga before moving to Itoshima 14 years ago. He plays most genres but not the versions you’re likely to hear on the radio. He used to be part of a regular event called “Kamui no Yoru” at Space Lab Zeta in Yakuin. DJ H says “Open your mind, open your heart and open your arms!”
HiraLion BetaLand
HiraLion began VJing as a student in Osaka. He has been a major figure on the Kansai scene for a decade and has produced PVs for Ego-Wrappin’, OOIOO, Furukawa Miki, EXPE, and TENGAKU. His most recent work, ’vISION oF dREAMS’ , accompanied by music from DJ YOGURT, was released last year. He also curates the FLOWER OF LIFE club night in Osaka.
Macarena Olivera
Macarena Olivera is a visual and plastics artist and decorator from Argentina. She has lived in Fukuoka for 12 years, putting together a large body of work, including paintings, murals, specially-commissioned sculptures, t-shirts, posters, decorative stone and tile mosaics and works in cement. Her distincitve artwork for the Isla de Salsa music festival is well-known in Fukuoka.
