Art and Culture: British artist Molly Maine’s Exhibition - Nomad - A Narrative Print Series from Travel Experiences

British illustrator and designer Molly Maine's Nomad: Perspectives on Home in a Changing Japan exhibition delves into the shifting notion of ‘home’- juxtaposing modern digital nomad lifestyles with Japan’s centuries‑old sense of rooted place.

"The exhibition explores a new era of digital nomadism in Japan, and questions the meaning of home, inspired by stories collected during my recent residency in Kanazawa (Japan). It’s a project that’s personal, shaped by nearly a decade of living nomadically," explained Maine.

This is Molly Maine's first solo exhibition running from 4–13 July 2025 at London’s 67 York Street Gallery, Marylebone.

Known for her bold, graphic travel illustrations, Maine's Nomad collection draws on interviews with digital nomads, local Japanese residents, and evacuees of the devastating 2024 Noto earthquake. Through digitally illustrated, limited‑edition giclée prints (hand‑finished in Kanazawa‑inspired techniques), Maine explores themes of displacement, adaptation, and cultural dialogue.  

Part of the exhibition’s proceeds supports recovery efforts in the Noto region, with donations channelled through the Ishikawa Prefectural Community Chest. This charitable dimension anchors the show’s emotional depth and social relevance.

Molly Maine's Noto 2025

A poignant highlight of Nomad is the gold‑foil collaboration with Japanese tea‑artisan Yu Yamaguchi (whose Wajima studio and home were destroyed in the Noto quake), co‑creates a piece inspired by the Banksia flower—a plant known to bloom after natural disaster. 

Maine digitally sketched the motif, which Yamaguchi then engraved in gold on a traditional tea container, drawing on the Japanese tradition of Kintsugi. This masterpiece symbolises both fragility and renewal, serving as a visual embodiment of community resilience.  

International Women's Day 2025, commissioned by Lenovo Japan

Maine’s signature style is marked by graphic clarity and vivid colour palettes. The contrast between neon vending‑machine streets and serene tatami‑mat settings is foregrounded through bold lines and atmospheric hues.  Having travelled to more than 50 countries, Maine captures local palettes of the cultures she has visited.  From bright Mexican streets and Thailand's street-food markets to subtle Japanese sky hues, each of Molly's work carries a narrative gathered in person, each print is a visual diary of time and place. 

Molly Maine, based in London, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Illustration from Falmouth University in 2008.  During her illustration degree at Falmouth. Maine studied at Nagoya University of Art on an Erasmus exchange.

She briefly worked in-house (notably at Walker Books) before embracing a life as a freelance creative. In 2016 she pivoted into a full‑time nomadic lifestyle, building a global studio powered by Procreate and Photoshop, and has since travelled to over 50 countries.

Maine has also produced high-profile projects under commercial commissions, including cover illustration for The Tokyoiter ( a lockdown homage to Tokyo); illustrated menu design for Harvey Nichols Brasserie at OXO Tower, London; and collaborations with Sky News, Penguin Random House, ASOS, LUSH, Netflix.

With Nomad, Molly Maine presents a narrative tapestry woven from lived experiences. Between geometric colour contrasts and cultural juxtapositions lies a deeper commentary on displacement, recovery, and belonging, seasoned through years of travel. 

Cultural Event: The Glucksman Gallery to host "RINN/輪: An Ireland and Japan dialogue on making, place and time"

 To celebrate the strong cultural connections between Japan and Ireland, Making In by Joseph Walsh Studio is presenting RINN/輪 Ireland and Japan: a dialogue on making, place and time, an exhibition that explores the culture of making and its relationship to place and time through the work of Irish and Japanese artists and architects.

Created as part of the Ireland Japan 2025 programme, in partnership with the Government of Ireland, the exhibition premiered in April 2025 in Tokyo, at both Ireland House and A Lighthouse called Kanata Gallery.

At the Osaka World Expo 2025 (13 April - 13 October 2025),  a large-scale outdoor sculpture by Joseph Walsh entitled Magnus Rinn, is prominently on show at the Ireland. Pavilion.  Photo by Joseph Walsh Studio. 

It now travels from Tokyo to Cork City, Ireland, where it will run from 26 July to 2 November 2025 at The Glucksman, a contemporary art museum on the campus of University College Cork, designed by O’Donnell + Tuomey Architects.  

The Osaka World Expo 2025 (13 April – 13 October) has opened, and one of the highlights showcased is a sculpture by Irish artist Joseph Walsh who has unveiled Magnus Rinn, his first large-scale outdoor sculpture, at the Ireland Pavilion. 

Inspired by Making In - Joseph Walsh’s cultural programme - and the connections that have developed between makers from Japan and Ireland, the exhibition is curated by Joseph Walsh and Wahei Aoyama of A Lighthouse called Kanata Gallery. 

The word RINN has meaning in both Gaelic and Japanese; in Gaelic it translates as a point or a headland, in Japanese it means circle or ring. Featuring both new and collaborative works from Irish and Japanese makers in art and architecture, RINN/輪 Ireland and Japan: a dialogue on making, place and time explores the idea of circularity, connections between people, relationship to place and to the past and the future through material form-finding. 

While each piece is a personal expression of form, the works exhibited are united by a shared immersion in the culture of making. Whether drawing on craft heritage – the materials and skills associated with place - or exploring new techniques and materials, they all share an intimate relationship with the handmade.

In addition to presenting the dialogues between Irish and Japanese artists first shown in Tokyo, the exhibition in Cork expands to include a focus on the Rambling Houses at Fartha by O’Donnell + Tuomey Architects who also designed the Glucksman building.

RINN/輪 Ireland and Japan: a dialogue on making, place and time is presented by Making In by Joseph Walsh Studio, in partnership with the Government of Ireland. It forms part of the Ireland Japan 2025 programme and includes projects in Tokyo and at Expo Osaka, as well as Cork. The exhibition gallery partner is A Lighthouse called Kanata.

All public places, museums and galleries are closed.

While the UK is taking  all precautions to battle the spread of the Covit-19 pandemic, many public spaces are now closed, including galleries and museums, non-essential shops, fashion and electronic retail outlets.









Although I planned to visit the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) in Knightsbridge, London which was hosting a major exhibition on the Japanese national costume, entitled Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk until 21 June 2020, I decided not to do so in order to restrict my possible exposure to the virus in public places, and now with order of the prime minister we are all to stay at home.

However, I'm able to show here pictures sent from PR agency Totem Fashion, which was representing Yoshikimono, a partner of the V&A on this exhibition.

London’s iconic V&A has been collecting Japanese art and design since it was founded in 1852 and now holds one of the world’s most significant collections, including important holdings of Japanese textiles and dress.

A major focus of the exhibition, 

Japanese brand Yoshikimono founded by famous rock star Yoshiki,

 is a partner for the new exhibition on kimono in London.  The brand  was created 10 years ago by

 iconic Japanese rock star Yoshiki, the founder of 

rock band X Japan which has sold internationally more than 30 millions albums.

While the kimono is widely reconised as the ultimate symbol of Japan, perceived as traditional, timeless and unchanging, the new exhibition aims to counter this conception by presenting the garment as a dynamic and constantly evolving icon of fashion.  
Over 315 works were being featured in the exhibition, including kimono especially made for the show, half drawn from the V&A’s superlative collections and the rest generously lent by museums and private collections in Britain, Europe, America and Japan.

Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk revealed the sartorial and social significance of the kimono from the 1660s to the present day, both in Japan and in the rest of the world.   Rare 17th and 18th century kimono were displayed for the first time in the UK, together with fashions by major designers and iconic film and performance costumes.

The kimono’s recent reinvention on the streets of Japan was also explored through work by an exciting new wave of contemporary designers and stylists.

Highlights of the exhibition included a kimono created by Living National Treasure Kunihiko Moriguchi, the dress designed for Björk by Alexander McQueen and worn on the album cover Homogenic, and original Star Wars costumes modelled on kimono by John Mollo and Trisha Biggar. Designs by Yves Saint Laurent, Rei Kawakubo and John Galliano were to reveal the kimono’s role as a constant source of inspiration for fashion designers.

Paintings, prints, film, dress accessories and other objects were featured throughout the exhibition as well, providing additional context to the fascinating story of the style, appeal and influence of the kimono.

Anna Jackson, curator of Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk at the V&A, commented: “From the sophisticated culture of 17^th -century Kyoto to the creativity of the contemporary catwalk, the kimono is unique in its aesthetic importance and cultural impact giving it a fascinating place within the story of fashion.”

It's Cherry Blossom season in Japan and lifestyle brand Muji opens hotel in Tokyo's Ginza district.

It's Spring time in Japan, and tourism is booming in this oriental kingdom as visitors flock there to admire Cherry Blossoms.

A luxurious gown  from Christian Dior SS 2017 haute couture collection designed by Maria Garzia Chiuri, elaborately embroidered to channel Japanese cherry blossoms as a nod to the Hanami - Japan's National Cherry Blossom Festival - and echoing Monsieur Dior's 1953 "Jardin Japonais" dress.  This is one of 200 rare Dior haute couture gowns now on show  in the Christian Dior - Designer of Dreams Exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, until 1st September 2019.

Photo by Lucia Carpio.

According to BBC business news earlier this week, the blossom season is worth billions for Japan.  The season attracted nearly five million people and boosted the economy by some US$2.7 billion, according to figures from Bloomberg.

Cherry blossom represents the nature of life and a season of renewal in Japanese culture.  Events and festivals are held in Japan each spring during "Hanami", or "flower viewing" season.

If one has the luxury of time to travel to Japan this Easter break, you may like to try out the Muji Hotel Ginza, operated by the Japanese retail chain Muji - known for their minimalist designs.

The hotel is to open this Thursday in Tokyo as a novel way to experience the brand's wide range of lifestyle products.

The hotel offering 79 guests rooms which will be decked out with Muji's own lifestyle-related products, from furniture, to slippers, to toiletries and toothbrushes.

The hotel is situated above its shop - from 6th to 10th floor - above the commercial complex.  This is very handy because if guests like any of the items, they can buy them at a Muji store below.

The hotel is viewed as a kind of showroom where guests can experience using their products, according to officials at the chain's operator, Ryohin Keikaku, which has revealed that sales of Muji products are on the rise, mainly in Asian countries, and they hope the new hotel will further boost its brand recognition and help expand sales globally.

The Ginza hotel will be the company's first in Japan; it follows ones already opened in China, in Shenzhen and Beijing.

Modern fashion meets Japanese sub-culture as new clothing brand Tokkou arrives for London Fashion Week

Contemporary Japanese fashion brand Tokkou is setting up a pop-shop in London’s trendy Notting Hill to coincide with London Fashion Week.

The London-based brand takes inspiration from Japanese youth subculture Bousou-zoku for its cutting-edge looks.

TOKKOU’s visionaries want to bring their fresh approach to couture by using technologically enhanced fabrics.
Photos from TOKKOU

The designs are inspired by traditional garments worn by the bousou-zoku biker gangs and the traditional sotsuran worn by students during their graduation ceremony, the Tokkou collection reinterprets clothing as an art form used to express team names and beliefs with words and illustrations.

Inspired by the recent popularity of Japanese culture in Europe and the current trend for Japanese writing, embroidered jackets and jeans, the Tokkou brand symbolises Japan’s cultural heritage while incorporating elements of British punk-rock and Gothic culture. The result is a striking Asian-British fusion of silhouettes, cuts and styles with unmistakable Japanese flair.

Its 2019 Spring Summer collection, Shining in the Dark, is designed in the hope that the wearer shines even while riding their motorcycle in the dark.

Featuring dark and brooding hues emblazoned with eye-catching traditional Japanese characters and bold graphics, the Tokkou range includes oversized hoodies, tailored jackets, trousers, sweatpants, shirts, dresses and tailored shorts.

Each garment is created in the country that the company has drawn much of their inspiration from and aims to transmit traditional Japanese culture to the world through fashion.

TOKKOU’s visionaries want to bring more of their fresh approach to couture to stores and streets around the country by using technologically enhanced fabrics.

Billed as "utterly wearable and very on trend," the collection is designed to be edgy yet timeless and uses modern materials such as a soft Lyocell Cotton blend, with a gentle and drapeable texture that unlike nylon and polyester, does not require petroleum for its production.

There’s also high dense stitch fleece lining, luxurious 80 yarn count poplin and luxury fabrics spun in the Biella region of Northern Italy.

Tokkou has ambitious plans to present its designs to the world, and will host a guerrilla fashion show on the 15th September alongside London Fashion Week. 

The Notting Hill pop up shop will be open to the public, the media and fashion merchandisers alike from the 21st September for two weeks.

During their time at London Fashion Week, Tokkou’s creators are hoping to meet with suppliers to clothing stores throughout Europe as well as independent fashion retailers who understand the brand’s vision and share their view of Japanese fashion as an art form. 

Newark Museum Exhibition Highlights Impact of Japanese Aesthetics on Global Fashions

Japan has long been a major draw for tourism and undoubtedly its iconic ancient architecture and traditions have made it a favourite tourist destination in Asia.

Now this beautiful ancient country of the Far East is the focus of a new exhibition due to be launched  at the Newark Museum, USA which will showcase the impact of Japanese garments, textiles, design and aesthetics on global fashion created by internationally recognized designers such as John Galliano, Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Iris van Herpen and Issey Miyake.

Ensemble by celebrated Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto / Spring/Summer 1995 /
Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute / Photo by Takashi Hatakeyama

Opening October 13, 2018, Kimono Refashioned: 1870s-Now! will feature more than 40 garments by some 30 Japanese, European and American designers.  Co-organized by the Kyoto Costume Institute and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, the Newark Museum is the exclusive East Coast venue for this exhibition, where it will remain on view until January 6, 2019.