POKÉMON X KOGEI Art Exhibit Opens In LA This July

Who says Pokemon can’t be art? A new exhibit will be opening soon in Japan House, a Southern Californian museum dedicated to showcasing contemporary Japanese artists. The twist: all the pieces in the showcase will be renditions of pocket monsters.

The exhibition will feature over 70 works created by 20 renowned Japanese artists, ranging from seasoned metal artist Morihito Katsura to young artists just starting out like sculptor Taiichiro Yoshida. Many of them are pretty wild. “Pikachu Forest,” for example, is a piece by textile designer Reiko Sudo that is made up of over 900 strands of lace suspended from the ceiling, each containing the shape of a Pikachu somewhere in it. Then there’s “Jolteon,” a rendition of the legendary electric-type assembled from hundreds of individual pieces of gold- and silver-plated copper, each hammered into the shape of lightning bolts. This stuff took a while.

“While Pokémon and Japanese craft might seem like an unlikely pairing, there is an elemental connection between the two worlds. Just as there are distinct Pokémon types – such as Grass, Fire, Water, Ground, Steel and Electric – most of Japan’s principal crafts are created with grass, fire, water, earth and metal, and facilitated by electricity,” said Yuko Kaifu, president of JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles. “We’re excited to present this unique collaboration between one of the biggest entertainment properties originating in Japan and some of the country’s most talented craft artists – a pairing resulting in a collection of spectacular works of art that will delight art enthusiasts and gamers alike.”

The exhibit will open July 25 at JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles and will close January 7, 2024.