“Secret Garden” Exhibition Reinterprets Hitsujibungaku’s Album “12 hugs (like butterflies)” at New Gallery in Jinbocho

An art exhibition “Secret Garden” inspired by Hitsujibungaku – 12 hugs (like butterflies)” will be held at New Gallery in Jimbocho, Tokyo, from May 30 (Thu.) to June 23 (Sun.). The exhibition will be held at New Gallery in Jimbocho, Tokyo, from May 30 (Thu) to June 23 (Sun).

The exhibition showcases the reinterpretation of the album “12 hugs (like butterflies)” by haru. (HUG), who was responsible for the artwork, following the self-liner notes received from Moeka Shiozuka. Through collaboration with artists from various fields, the exhibition aims to express the album’s world. Defining the band itself as a “garden” and the creators and staff as “gardeners,” it offers a glimpse into the intimate communication exchanged during the album’s production process.

Participants in the exhibition as “gardeners” include photographer Nico Perez, who has captured Hitsujibungaku from a unique perspective, costume designer Ava, flower artist finaleflwr, multidisciplinary artist Christopher Loden, who has a background in fashion, and the creative platform “konomad” by wig artist Tomihiro Kono, known for the Supreme x MM6 collaboration, and photographer/visual artist Sayaka Maruyama. The exhibition space is designed by the design studio DODI™ and Alexander Julian, a master of the Sogetsu school of ikebana.

Admission is by advance reservation only, and tickets are available on e-plus.

About seven years ago, when I first met Moeka, I was embarrassingly late for our meeting.

At that time, I was still new to Tokyo, and she had chosen me as her interview partner for some media coverage. I don’t remember much from that encounter, but her large, melancholic eyes left a lasting impression on me. Despite my lateness, I was quite composed (a terrible habit), and she recently told me that seeing me like that made her think, “This is okay.”

Later on, I became involved in creating artwork and other projects. For the first design I worked on, “To the Youth” (2018), I chose a cover that made you want to glimpse the future reflected in Moeka’s eyes.

I only interact with the band members during production periods, and we don’t discuss personal matters much. However, because there’s no compromise or deceit in their music, I feel like I can understand what is important to them at the moment by listening to their songs. I also collaborated on the production of “our hope” (2022) and “12 hugs (like butterflies)” (2023), slowly building a relationship of trust.

“The Secret Garden” is an exhibition space where we at HUG have reinterpreted the songs and world of “12 hugs (like butterflies).”

In this space, which defines the ever-evolving band as a “garden” and the creators and staff as “gardeners,” we wanted to cherish the room for dreams within the creation process.

The exhibition’s key visual features a cyanotype print of a hinge shaped like a butterfly, symbolizing the door to creation. The phrase “drawing up a blueprint” often means planning for an unseen future, and this exhibition felt like a process of dismantling the image of Hitsujibungaku that was forming within me. By intentionally blurring the outlines, I believe they can transform into anything.

I hope that Hitsujibungaku, with its myriad possibilities, and each of its members continue to freely explore their expressions.

Creative Director haru. (HUG inc.)