“Secret Garden” inspired by Hitsujibungaku - 12 hugs (like butterflies)

2024.5.30 thu - 2024.7.7 sun

  • The session has been extended.
  • Opening Hours: 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM (Last admission is 30 minutes before closing)
  • Admission Fee: ¥1,000 (Advance reservation required)
  • Purchase Tickets Here:https://eplus.jp/himitsunoniwa/
    • *Children under 6 years old are admitted free of charge.
    • *This exhibition requires a designated entry time. Please present your e-ticket on your smartphone for entry.
    • *Entry is allowed within 1 hour from the specified entry time (e.g., 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM). Please arrive within the allowed time.
    • *If you are late, you may still enter on the same day, but you may need to wait depending on the crowd.
    • *No changes, refunds, reissues, or resales of tickets are allowed.

Hitsujibungaku is an alternative rock band known for its delicate yet powerful sound, consisting of vocalist and guitarist Moeka Shiotsuka, bassist Yurika Kasai, and drummer Hiroa Fukuda.

"Secret Garden" inspired by Hitsujibungaku - 12 hugs (like butterflies) is an exhibition space that reinterprets the songs from the full album "12 hugs (like butterflies)" released last December. The album artwork was created by haru. (HUG inc.), who retraced the self-liner notes received from Moeka Shiotsuka and collaborated with various artists to express the album's world.

Hitsujibungaku's original album "12 hugs (like butterflies)", released after about a year and a half, is a work that represents a return to their roots, freeing themselves as they grow as a band. The album title, which refers to "12 songs that hug themselves," is inspired by the "butterfly hug," where one crosses their arms and hugs themselves. The artwork depicting Shiotsuka's butterfly hug is also striking.

In this space, defined as a "garden" representing the ever-evolving band and the "gardeners" as the creators and staff nurturing it, visitors can glimpse the intimate communication among those involved in the production process.
This "garden," created by creative director haru. (HUG inc.), who has supported Hitsujibungaku's artwork from the early days to the present, includes various "gardeners."

Prominent artists participating in this exhibition include photographer Nico Perez, who has captured Hitsujibungaku from a unique perspective, costume designer Ava, flower artist finaleflwr, artist Christopher Loden who works across various fields with a background in fashion, and the creative platform konomad, consisting of wig artist Tomihiro Kono and photographer/visual artist Sayaka Maruyama, known for their collaboration with Supreme x MM6.
The exhibition space design is handled by design studio DODI™ and ikebana Sogetsu Style master Alexander Julian, creating the "Secret Garden."

Please come and experience the "Secret Garden" created by the gardeners expanding the world of Hitsujibungaku's music.

Secret Garden

Exhibition Statement

"Secret Garden"

About seven years ago, when I first met Moeka-san, I was extremely late to our meeting.
At the time, I was still unfamiliar with the streets of Tokyo, and she had chosen me as her interview partner for some media coverage. I don’t remember much about that day, but her large, melancholic eyes left a strong impression on me. Despite my tardiness (the worst), she recently told me that seeing me so composed made her think, "This is okay too."

Later, I started to get involved in the creation of their artworks, and for the first design, "Dear Youths," (2018), I chose a cover that made me want to peer into the future reflected in Moeka-san’s eyes.
Although my interactions with the band members were limited to production periods and we didn't talk much privately, the lack of compromise and deceit in their music made me feel that listening to their songs allowed me to grasp what was important to them at that moment. I also worked with them on "our hope" (2022) and "12 hugs (like butterflies)" (2023), slowly building a relationship of trust.

"Secret Garden" is an exhibition space where we at HUG have reinterpreted the songs and world of "12 hugs (like butterflies)."
In this space, we have defined the ever-evolving band as a "garden" and the creators and staff nurturing it as "gardeners," valuing the room for dreaming within the process of creating works.

The key visual of the exhibition is a photograph of butterfly-shaped hinges connecting the doors of creation, printed using the cyanotype technique. We often express the idea of planning for the unseen future as "drawing a blueprint," and this exhibition was like dismantling the image of HitsujiBungaku that had been forming within me. By deliberately blurring the outlines, we allow it to transform into anything.

I hope that HitsujiBungaku, with all its potential, and each of its members can continue to freely explore their expressions.

Creative Director
haru. (HUG inc.)

Hitsujibungaku "12 hugs (like butterflies)"

Hitsujibungaku's original album "12 hugs (like butterflies)", released after about a year and a half, features 12 songs that embrace oneself in a society filled with anxiety and conflict.

Tracklist (12 songs)
1. Hug.m4a
2. more than words
3. Addiction
4. GO!!!
5. Eternal Blue
6. countdown
7. Flower
8. honestly
9. Shinkokyu
10. Ningyo
11. Tsuzuku
12. FOOL

CD：https://fcls.lnk.to/lUTn3d
LP：https://fcls.lnk.to/k1mvAk

Organized by: New Gallery
Supported by: Jisedai Inc. / F.C.L.S.
Exhibition Direction: HUG inc.
Planning Support: CON_
Design: Tetsuya Okiyama
Exhibition Construction: DODI™ / Alexander Julian

Hitsujibungaku

Hitsujibungaku is an alternative rock band known for its delicate yet powerful sound, consisting of vocalist and guitarist Moeka Shiotsuka, bassist Yurika Kasai, and drummer Hiroa Fukuda.
The band made their major debut on August 19, 2020, under F.C.L.S. (Sony Music Labels).
In 2023, their album "our hope" won the 15th CD Shop Awards 2023 Grand Prize <Blue>.
The same year, their song "more than words," the ending theme for the TV anime "Jujutsu Kaisen" Shibuya Incident Arc, achieved over 100 million streams in Japan.
On December 6, they released their major third full album "12 hugs (like butterflies)," which includes this song.
Hitsujibungaku performed at FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL '23, drawing an unprecedented number of attendees for a daytime GREEN STAGE artist. In April 2024, they held their largest solo concert to date at Yokohama Arena, with tickets selling out within three minutes of release. This spring, they completed their first Asia tour, covering seven locations including Seoul, mainland China, Taipei, and Bangkok, with all shows sold out.
Hitsujibungaku is making significant strides in their international expansion, particularly in Asia, aiming for even greater achievements.

haru.(HUG inc.)

Creative Director. Born in 1995. Founded the independent magazine HIGH(er) magazine as its editor-in-chief during his student days. In 2019, he established HUG Inc., where he engages in creative direction and content production.
He has created the artwork for Hitsujibungaku's albums "Dear Youths" (2018), "our hope" (2022), and "12 hugs (like butterflies)" (2023).

Participating Artist

Ava (Misty Fountain)

An artist of the heart, creating hidden within the mist, a place of beautiful creation.

Misty colors,
Lines like air,
And the magical moment now.

To
The romanticism of seeing flowers in the mist.

Alexander Julian

Dark florist / FLOWER PUSHER. Master of Ikebana Sogetsu Style. Graduated at the top of his class from Kagoshima Prefectural Jummoku Women's Academy. His favorite drink is Five Mini.

Christopher Loden

Tailor, researcher, and jeweler. Born in June. Loves parfaits from Royal Host.

konomad

A creative platform by Tomihiro Kono and Sayaka Maruyama. They aim to expand the artist community while mainly working on photography, art direction, graphic design, catalog design, book design, publishing, short films, pop-up events, and exhibitions.

konomad editions is an independent publisher that designs and publishes artist books.
Established in Brooklyn, New York in 2016. Based in Tokyo since 2021.

DODI™

We are a design studio founded by a few collaborators in 2021. Our goal is to involve clients and collaborators in the process of not just communicating who they are, but also revealing who they can be. This approach leads to an ongoing relationship exploring the evolution of brands and works.

Nico Perez

Photographer / Filmmaker. Born in Malaga, Spain in 1986. Moved to London, UK, in his childhood and spent his childhood traveling between Spain and the UK. In 2008, he was inspired by the "blue" atmosphere and urban loneliness of Tokyo during his first visit. In 2015, he released his first photo book "Momentary" and held a solo exhibition simultaneously. Since then, he has held solo exhibitions "Stills from life" (16), "Kingsland Road" (18), "ChasingBlue" (19), "離れる | Take Off" (21), "Havana, Cuba “The Reprint”" (21), and "Let me be what I want to be" (22). Currently based in Tokyo.

finaleflwr

Directs floral arrangements for fashion brand exhibitions and fashion shows.