LVMH Métiers d’Art announces “LVMH MÉTIERS D’ART RÉSIDENCE ARTISTIQUE” to be held for the first time in Japan, with artist and animator Hiiragi Yonezawa selected as resident artist

It has been announced that Hiiragi Yonezawa, who continues to work as an artist and animator, has been selected for “LVMH Métiers D’ART RÉSIDENCE ARTISTIQUE”, which is sponsored by LVMH Métiers d’Art and will be held for the first time in Japan.

This program is run by LVMH Métiers d’Art, the craft division of LVMH in France, with the aim of discovering and nurturing new artistic talent, as well as offering innovative approaches to traditional crafts.・This is an in-residence program that has been rolled out globally since 2015, and will be held for the first time in Japan.

Hiiragi Yonezawa, who was selected as the artist-in-residence, will spend six months creating at the long-established denim manufacturer “KUROKI” in Okayama, and will present his work in the second half of 2025.

In addition, Hiiragi Yonezawa is one of the artists recommended by “MEET YOUR ART,” which is planned and operated by Avex Creator Agency.

I look forward to Yonezawa’s future activities from Japan to the world.

Comment from Hiiragi Yonezawa

We have been selected as the LVMH Métiers d’Art residence. I would like to celebrate KUROKI’s 75th anniversary, see the technology that has been accumulated, and create new discoveries and impressions with the people I meet.

[MEET YOUR ARTISTS]Hiiragi Yonezawa interview video

■Hiiragi Yonezawa Profile

Born in Tokyo in 1999. Artist, animator.

The multimedia works, which include videos, 2D works, and installations, explore the ghostly bodies of animated characters and capture the ephemeral emotional and atmospheric spaces they inhabit. He also believes that digital animation and actual living beings, the human soul, are the same thing, and that they are like neighbors. Yonezawa’s works, including the Obake’s Screenshots series, address fundamental issues of life, death, and the circularity of existence, especially in the digital realm. By revealing the subtle textures and afterimages of animation, he hopes to breathe life into digital works and offer solace to those trying to navigate the complexities of modern society.

Major works/solo exhibitions include “Happy Birth” (PARCO museum Tokyo, 2023), “Anonymous Body” (Tokyo arts and space Hongo (OPEN SITE7), 2022), “Anima of Extinction” (Odaka Bookbinding Industry Site (Planet Zamza) , 2022), “Movie version: Obake no B′” (NTT Intercommunication Center, 2022), “A place where people can live” (ATAMI ART GRANT, 2021), etc. Main exhibitions include “Display” (Calm & Punk Gallery, 2021), two-person exhibition with Ushio Chicken “AB” (Shinjuku Ophthalmic Gallery, 2020), and exhibition planning “Anima in the fog” (WALL_alternative, 2024) ) etc. In addition, major joint productions include the MV “Nitecore – Heartbeat” (direction: Fantasista Utamaro) and the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra x Hasegawa Shirakami MV “I want to meet you.゚(゚ ́ω`゚)゚. feat.Hasegawa Shirakami” ” animation drawing. Artwork production for the single “Umi no Na” by KAIRUI, etc.

■About KUROKI

Founded in 1950 as Kuroki Orifu in Ibara City, Okayama Prefecture. The company began manufacturing and selling denim in the 1960s, and has been a driving force in improving the quality of Japanese denim, which has now become a global brand, and in the development of the industry. Today, we are still based in Ibara City, Okayama Prefecture, where our company was founded, and while living in harmony with the rich nature blessed with its pure water, we are able to produce high-quality products by consistently performing dyeing, weaving, and processing in-house. We produce denim materials and products.

■MEET YOUR ART

One of the largest art projects in Japan that empowers up-and-coming artists and movements in 360°.

Using new methods, we aim to create opportunities for many people to come into contact with art, and in particular to get to know young and mid-career artists, and we are developing a multidisciplinary approach to media, e-commerce, art festivals, and alternative space management.

Main initiatives with Hiiragi Yonezawa include appearances in the media for “MEET YOUR ART”, exhibition at “MEET YOUR ART FESTIVAL 2023/2024”, and the first exhibition by Hiiragi Yonezawa “Anima in the fog” at the alternative space “WALL_alternative” that he manages. Events, etc.