Japanese snack package craft artist holds first Tokyo exhibition in Ikebukuro, offers autographs

https://ift.tt/2MBZjvf Katy Kelly

Make sure to guzzle your fill of snacks beforehand, because these sculptures are mouthwatering.

By the time we first reported on Karabako Shokunin Harukiru (Empty Box Craftsman Harukiru) he was already a huge viral hit in Japan’s Twitterverse. Harukiru, also known by his extensive Twitter handle @02ESyRaez4VhR2l, piqued the interest of Japanese craft fans back in 2017 with his intricate papercraft sculptures. Fragile and delicate, these robust structures are solely constructed from cut paper.

▼ Harukiru’s first viral hit.

河口晴季さんのtwitter見つけたから写真と一緒に置いとこう(　ﾟдﾟ)つ @02ESyRaez4VhR2l #切り折り紙の世界展 https://t.co/MuWdlPHaJc

—
カエエエエエエル (@Frosch_04) December 01, 2017

He also gained some notoriety for sculptures formed entirely out of Meiji’s elegant The Chocolate packaging, although those have long since been deleted from his Twitter profile. Perhaps they just didn’t measure up to his current standard of work.

▼ The glamorous Moonlight cookie box sculpture is one of our favorites

But thank goodness he kept his obsession with transfiguring chocolate and candy packages, because now he has enough work to fill an exhibition at Ikebukuro’s Parco Museum! Though Harukiru has put his impressive library of Pringles mascots and shonen-style superheroes on display before in Nagoya, this will be his first time exhibiting in Tokyo.

▼ The exhibition, titled “A Fantasy World Made From Snack Boxes”, welcomes you to a strange and wonderful world

The exhibition will open on October 26 and remain until November 11. Admission costs 800 yen (US$7.38), though elementary and middle schoolers can enter for just 500 yen. Once inside, you can get your fill of Harukiru’s bizarre and colorful cardboard creations as the exhibit consists of over 30 separate pieces!

▼ Snapshots from the previous exhibit in Nagoya.

▼ One of Harukiru’s signature sculptures is this jolly Pringles mascot.

Each piece is deserving of a second or even third lookover, due to the exhaustive detail and impressive consideration of the sculpture’s structure. The exhibit will even have its own special goods for sale, so you can take a little piece of the perfection home with you as a souvenir.

▼ The lineup stars tote bags, postcards, clear files, and a comprehensive book of his work.

But there’s even more in store for die-hard Harukiru enthusiasts. On certain periods Harukiru himself will be present to give out autographs at the store for any customer who spends 2,000 yen or more on goods from the exhibit. Autographs are limited to one per customer, and Harukiru will only be present from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on October 26 and 27, as well as November 1-4 and then 9-11. (This schedule may change.)

And hey, while you’re already checking out the art in Tokyo, you could hop on over to the current exhibit about the Ghibli museum? It’s the perfect dose of 2-D art to complement the 3-D.

Exhibit Information
A Fantasy World Made From Snack Boxes / お菓子の箱でつくる夢の世界展
Address: Tokyo-to, Toshima-ku, Minamiikebukuro, 1-28-2, Ikebukuro Parco Main Hall 7F, Ikebukuro Parco Museum
東京都豊島区南池袋1-28-2池袋パルコ 本館７F・パルコミュージアム
Open 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (final admissions at 8:30 p.m.)
Admission: 800 yen (500 yen for elementary/junior high students)

Source, images: PR Times
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