Foxco’s installation art dream adventure

It’s another sunny winter afternoon in Aoyama, Tokyo’s low-key shopping district known for its exquisite boutiques and art scene. While the area’s quiet streets usually have fewer crowds than its posh neighbor Omotesando Avenue, Aoyama Avenue is busier than usual. To the delight of her fans and loyal followers, beloved illustrator and artist Foxco (also known as media personality Kaori Watanabe) is hosting her first major installation at the landmark arts center Spiral.

The exhibition, titled “The Longest Night,” is Foxco’s first in two years. Known primarily for its whimsical illustrations and paintings and collaborations with fashion and lifestyle brands, Foxco is now venturing into the crossover between animation and immersive installations. The Longest Night is a meditation on her solitary stay in London in recent years, with paintings inspired by the historic city, with projected hand-drawn animation and a dazzling centerpiece: a group of glowing “ghost dog” figures facing a planetarium style dome light.

Who is Foxco?

Foxco (Kaori Watanabe) began her creative journey while studying at the University of the Pantheon in Paris and has already made great strides as an illustrator before finding further fame as a reality TV star terraced house 2019. Since then, foxco has carried out various independent art activities, as well as projects with well-known clients such as Chanel, VOGUE, and Shiseido. She recently completed her studies at the University of the Arts London and continues to travel between Japan and the UK.

Her works are rich in color, delicate in line, and uplifting in subject matter, adding a touch of warmth and charm to ordinary scenes of modern life. Following the success of her solo exhibitions “Notre Jardin” and “The Longest Night” in Kyoto and Tokyo in 2022, foxco will continue to share her work within Japan and abroad.

The Longest Night: A Story of Sorrow and Hope

affectionately named ObakeinuTranslating to “Ghost Dog,” Foxco’s original character has long been an iconic and steady companion for the artist. Over the past three years, as she has started a new life in London, the presence of ghost dogs has given her a sense of comfort—perhaps indicative of the healing power of her work as a creative outlet.

“During the day, he [the Ghost Dog] “Standing beside us as a quiet guardian, at night he plays with his friends in the night sky,” Foxco said. “I wrote this story while an unfathomable sadness threatened to overwhelm me – and hopefully there will be One day I was able to transform my pain into gratitude for someone I had lost or been separated from. ”

“The Longest Night” by Foxco

Foxco worked hard to weave emotions of loss and darkness into a narrative of hope and warmth to bring this stunning installation to life. Centered around a layered lantern, this circular space is composed of multiple elements that come together to form an ethereal, immersive piece. The lanterns have small cutouts that create rotating projections of dogs playing in the night sky, represented by the spiraling domed ceiling. Below, a group of glowing ghost dogs – some sleeping, some staring – surround a wooden table with sketches written on it, echoing Foxco’s studio.

A magical window into London in winter

The centerpiece’s paintings and animations depict London’s influence on the artist. While the installation is more reminiscent of the tranquility of London’s long winter nights, the paintings and animations feature upbeat, playful elements such as hugging animals and happily dancing ballerinas. A black-and-white rendering of the London skyline sparkles with hope, and a ghost dog jumps back and forth between two animated sections on the gallery wall, representing day and night.

Foxco captures the glimmer of streetlights, glowing windows and stars, infusing London’s cold winters with anticipation of the arrival of spring, hoping to convey her love for the city. She also explained that the background music for the exhibition space was taken from the London soundscape, and that she experimented with sonic references such as the clatter of horse hooves and street music. These nuances definitely add an evocative and nostalgic feel to the scene.

“The Longest Night” will continue to be on display for free on the first floor of the museum spiral Head to Foxco’s until January 19 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. website or Instagram Get updates and information.

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