Fashion designer Michiko Koshino makes her first appearance as an artist! SOMSOC GALLERY will be participating in the art fair “ART365 Shinsaibashi” held at Daimaru Shinsaibashi!
Kenbi Co., Ltd. Press release: September 18, 2025 To Members of the Press Fashion designer Michiko Koshino makes her first appearance as an artist! SOMSOC GALLERY will be participating in the art fair “ART365 Shinsaibashi” held at Daimaru Shinsaibashi! Seven artists from SOMSOC GALLERY will be participating: Michiko Koshino, Hideki Kimura, CASE-K MOONSHINE, Kotaro Machiyama, Yuuma Ishii, Bausel Giselle Aika, and our gallery’s representative artist, Saku Denzaiba.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/71221/65/71221-65-a945d3a0e6fe1214985e2316f7dca589-1456×1456.png
https://www.daimaru.co.jp/shinsaibashi/ ■SOMSOC GALLERY HP:
https://somsoc.jp “ART365 Shinsaibashi Store” Overview Just as you open a window when you wake up in the morning, open the window to your heart with art. Every time you see them, you feel relieved,
encouraged, and inspired… Enjoy the joy of living with your favorite artworks 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Bring them closer, more easily, and more freely. Come and discover new encounters with art and artists. A gallery leading the Japanese art scene has come to a department store. This is a rare art fair where you can also interact with artists. SOMSOC GALLERY Exhibiting Artist
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/71221/65/71221-65-d83315e44f13c52f5cbecf48d005274d-1016×1266.jpg Michiko Koshino Michiko Koshino (Designer) Born in Kishiwada City, Osaka Prefecture. She is the third daughter of Ayako Koshino, a leading figure in the Japanese fashion industry who was the model for the NHK morning drama “Carnation.” In 1973, she moved to the UK alone and has since been based in London, where she has been designing. Her distinctive designs, such as her “Inflatable” series and the first use of neoprene in townwear, have had a profound impact on London’s club and music scenes. Her collections are displayed at the Royal Victoria & Albert Museum as a symbol of 1980s street culture. She also became the first Japanese person to become an official member of the British Fashion Council (BFC). The “MICHIKO LONDON KOSHINO” brand, launched in 1986, has achieved success not only in Europe and the United States, but also in Japan and other Asian countries. It was also the first in the world to launch branded condoms and actively participates in social contributions such as the eradication of AIDS. Additionally, the jeans brand “YEN JEANS,” featuring Japanese techniques such as indigo dyeing and Japanese denim, has been a success, primarily in Europe. Visuals of exhibited works (some works)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/71221/65/71221-65-c39738761b2a7bc2e1c4bc486667e675-1417×2700.jpg Inflatable jacket_Warp on the Parallel Universe Comment from Michiko Koshino “Inflatables, which allow you to freely change the volume by adjusting the amount of air, are my signature works that transcend the boundaries of existing clothing concepts. The CASE-K cat-design inflatables have a more artistic side. It all started when we started talking about how it would be interesting to incorporate hand-painted designs like MOONSHINE’s signature work, KOSMO.” “Since we started from a completely unprecedented place, it took a tremendous amount of time and trial and error to create the inflatable. It also took more than two months to hand-paint it. I’ve heard that it was quite difficult to balance the image while it was inflated.”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/71221/65/71221-65-9196ba310b006c741038589624b0f00f-780×896.jpg Hideki Kimura Hideki Kimura (Artist) Born in Izumiotsu City, Osaka Prefecture in 1942. After graduating from the Department of Design at Kyoto City University of Arts, he now teaches at the same university. During the early days of rock music in Japan, he produced numerous legendary events as an organizer. At the age of 60, he became an artist. His works range from the sliding screen panels at the Kachoden Hall of Shoren-in Temple in Kyoto to murals at the Kyoto City Zoo, baseball stadiums, restaurants, and commercial facilities, many of which are painted on the streets of the city. He has created murals in over 250 locations both in Japan and overseas. His life, which has been dedicated to rock music, is reflected in his vibrant paintings. Rather than facing a canvas in his studio, he wants to paint in the “live” city. He is a unique artist who advocates the ultimate in amateurism. Official site https://ki-yan.com Visuals of Exhibited Works (Selected Works)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/71221/65/71221-65-9cf11480c037194f5556e64d31c0d30a-1350×733.png Winterlight
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/71221/65/71221-65-bc64b27e28f0b3ea4941e10fc23c2894-1801×2700.jpg CASE-K MOONSHINE CASE-K MOONSHINE (Painter) His name in the music industry is Keisuke Tekko. He’s a legendary music producer, known for being “a person without whom Japanese rock cannot be discussed.” He produced numerous stars from the 1980s to the 1990s, working with artists such as LOUDNESS, BOOWY, ZIGGY, LINDBERG, Kyosuke Himuro, and Naomi Tamura. In the 2000s, he became a central figure in the X JAPAN revival project, leaving his name etched in the minds of many. Around 2010, he suffered sudden hearing loss. His hearing was so impaired that he was unable to produce music, and from that point on he began creating art, something he hadn’t done for nearly 40 years. In 2018, he officially declared himself a painter and began working under the name CASE-K MOONSHINE. Visuals of exhibited works (some works)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/71221/65/71221-65-2255a221d3f33b7f08034a02fe981db9-726×1001.jpg Landing Point
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/71221/65/71221-65-e425a1af0e9428769d5f09f239207d87-2535×2560.jpg Kotaro Machiyama Kotaro Machiyama (Painter) Born in Chiba Prefecture in 1980, he currently lives in Tokyo. After working as a web designer for the apparel company Restear, he backpacked through Southeast Asia and, upon returning to Japan, decided to make a living through his art. While working as a temporary employee, he attended Setsu Mode Seminars at night, and after three periods of unemployment, he landed a job as an illustrator. In 2014, the artwork he was creating alongside the project was recognized in an overseas online gallery, and he began selling his work primarily in Europe and the United States. Inspired by the flat visual perception of a baby, devoid of meaning or depth, his works, composed solely of color and shape, naturally evoke memories and emotions in the viewer. Following his solo exhibition at Arflex Tamagawa in 2020, he has expanded his activities domestically. Awards include the highly commended Rise Art Prize (UK, 2017), the Grand Prize in the J-WAVE TIME TABLE, a free paper published by J-WAVE to celebrate its 30th anniversary (2017), and the Mariko Abe Award (Jury’s Prize) at the 3rd VAAD Visual Art Awards (2009). Visuals of exhibited works (some works)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/71221/65/71221-65-56a0a13133e9e23d3b8dffabf765f338-1832×2700.jpg Pray/ wish
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/71221/65/71221-65-9d42131a6224871fe182320aa4980134-3900×3861.jpg Yuuma Ishii Yuma Ishii (Dyeing Artist) Born in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture in 2001. Currently enrolled in the Crafts Department at the Graduate School of Art and Crafts at Kanazawa College of Art. Through dyeing techniques based on traditional Yuzen techniques, I consider and present “how I relate to the world we live in today” and “my own senses and perspectives on things.” 2025: Next Generation Award at the 6th Kanazawa World Craft Triennale/2025 Kanazawa World Craft Competition. Other past awards he has received include the A-TOM ART AWARD 2023 TOYAMA Award, the Van Cleef & Arpels Design Scholarship, the PRIZE for LEADING CHARACTER / DSF CULTIVATION AWARD for Students, the SHIBUYA ART AWARDS Jury Member Komatsu Takahiro Award, and the 8th and 9th Kuma Foundation Creator Scholarship. Visuals of exhibited works (some works)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/71221/65/71221-65-93027e27ba71bcff2f18f551852e7d17-1587×2700.jpg Nonverbal dyeing
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/71221/65/71221-65-77238b33fc1c7ddde3f6e8a77ced3799-2145×2700.jpg Bausel Giselle Aika Bausel Giselle Aika (Pixel Artist) Born in Brazil. Spent her childhood there and has lived in Japan since the fourth grade of elementary school. Strongly influenced by the futuristic atmosphere of Shibuya and Harajuku, the vibrant cityscapes, and “kawaii” pop culture she encountered in Japan. With her unique cross-cultural perspective and youthful sensibilities, she updates pixel art with a Japanese, Heisei-era feel. In 2021, she won the Excellence Award at the global pixel art contest “Shibuya Pixel Art.” In 2023, she created an art piece for the Ginza Miyake Palace, built by Dr. Copa. This year, in 2025, she will hold her first solo exhibition, “Time Traveler: Gisele Aika’s Ukiyo-e Dream Tales” (Ginza Tsutaya Bookstore). Through her stays and artistic activities in a multinational environment, she creates works that express the diversity of cultures and atmospheres, as well as legends and myths. Visuals of exhibited works (some works)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/71221/65/71221-65-d68c320e1057f3e3a3901dababfb3790-2094×2700.jpg Dornröschen
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/71221/65/71221-65-a1b92d7c7e010379d352f69b77c4578d-3900×3900.jpg Electrostatic field (Dian) Dian Zhengba (Dian) (Artist/Art
Director/Musician) An artist building the next generation of legends. Born in Beijing. Having spent his childhood in several countries, including the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, his multicultural background is reflected in his work. Using his keen observational skills and rich imagination, he depicts his own unique “universe” through both music and painting. He defines the human psyche as the “inner universe,” and anthropomorphizes inanimate objects to symbolically express the connections between the self and the world, and between people. After completing his master’s degree, he founded “XL-UNIVERSE” and “SOMSOC GALLERY” in Tokyo. He has held numerous solo exhibitions and participated in art projects both in Japan and abroad. As a musician, she has released numerous unique songs, including providing music for Pac-Man’s 40th anniversary and composing theme songs for anime series such as “Onmyoji.” She has also performed at music festivals both in Japan and abroad, captivating fans with her unique performance style. Visuals of exhibited works (some works)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/71221/65/71221-65-64fbd864fff341f44f8452495b0e0c9f-1200×1200.jpg Cosmion For more information about this release
