Softvinyl Kaiju Exhibition

We are pleased to announce HxS’s solo exhibition “Softvinyl Kaiju Exhibition” at MEGUMI OGITA GALLERY. The softvinyl kaiju creator HxS carries out the entire process by himself, from design to prototype, moulding and painting. Softvinyl figures are made by pouring sol, the raw material, into a mould, firing and extracting it. Although the process has remained largely consistent from the early Showa era (1926–1989) to the present day, he never ceases to strive for better works as he independently experiments with different methods.

About 30 years ago, HxS’s father produced the original softvinyl Kong, and when he took over the family business, he thought “I want to bring back this cool Kong in standard size” and there the world of Gorilla Ju was born. Since then, he has continued to create original kaiju to fight Gorilla Ju, such as Mecha Gorilla Ju and Tyranno Ju, which are based on his stories.

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In HxS works, perfection achieved by his craftsmanship is worthy of mention, but it is distinct from what modern multi-coloured figures with emphasis on realism aim at. His ideal of good old-fashioned softvinyl kaiju that you can easily pick up and play with, returning to your childhood, is expressed in seemingly simple colouring of works, which gives his commitment to viewers. The kaiju are also exquisitely deformed with ferocious appearance, yet somehow lovable.

Another characteristic of works is the way in which he expands his own world view through the hands of illustrators, tattoo artists and painters. The original paintings created by Masami Watanabe, a leading illustrator of the Showa era who worked on illustrations and plastic model boxes, are the essence of HxS’s works, and his charm as a creator involving other talents is immeasurable.

This exhibition will feature eight softvinyl figures, ten pairs of one-offs and one fibreglass work by HxS, who has established a firm position in the softvinyl world.

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When visiting the exhibition, please cooperate with the following.
- Please disinfect your hands.
- Please leave space between other visitors.
- Please refrain from coming to the venue if you are unwell (fever, cold, taste disorder and otherwise). Those with a fever of 37.5°C or higher will not be allowed to enter.
- Please refrain from coming to the exhibition if you know someone at home, work or school who is infected with COVID-19.

Dates

Open to Public (No ticket required)

October 31-November 4, 2023

Noon-5 PM

Last Admission 4 PM

Contact

info@megumiogita.com