HARAJUKU DREAMS

On June 24, 2022, Laforet Harajuku's sixth floor became the first stop for the first Japan exhibition of American pop artist Tennessee Loveless. The show, held at BE AT STUDIO HARAJUKU, was staged as a retrospective and included works shown publicly for the first time anywhere. Loveless flew in for his first visit to Japan and attended the press event the day before the doors opened. Opening coverage paired him with Cookie of the comedy duo Yasei Bakudan.

 

His work is built on saturated color and repeating pattern, used to hit the viewer with immediate visual impact. That approach runs through his pop reinterpretations of Disney's Mickey Mouse, collected in "The Mickey Mouse TEN×TEN×TEN Contemporary Pop Art Series." It also shapes "Art Outsiders," a series of abstract portraits of figures such as Vincent van Gogh, David Bowie, and Andy Warhol, each an outsider in their own field. Each portrait is meant to carry a story of history, courage, and perseverance.

 

The exhibition went beyond framed work on walls. One corner of the space was built to resemble his studio in the United States, giving visitors a look at where the pieces are made. Live painting sessions and workshops ran in collaboration with BE AT TOKYO, the art and culture project that operates the venue. The limited-edition works created at those events were sold at BE AT TOKYO and at the next venue in Ikebukuro, and all profits went to Save the Children Japan, which works toward a world where children from any background can develop their individuality and potential.

 

Harajuku was only the start. The show was planned to travel to Ikebukuro, Nagoya, Kyoto, and Osaka, with free admission throughout.