Mr. Sebastian Masuda, an icon of Harajuku, is bringing his participatory art project called “Time After Time Capsule” this summer.

Please join his talk and capsule event on August 22 at the Japan Foundation, Toronto.
In his talk, Mr. Masuda will discuss the concept of Kawaii culture and Harajuku-style, its global phenomenon and evolution over the past two decades, and his outlooks on its future trends and projects. The second half of the event will be the capsule event. Bring a Kawaii item (something cute, colourful or handmade, or one of your favourite items) OR create a small craft on-site, and add it to the capsule for the future you.

Time After Time Capsule is an ongoing art project which invites the public to contribute personal items to fill a translucent sculpture that will travel around the world. Each participant is invited to offer or create colourfully decorated items of personal value, which will be placed in the translucent sculptured capsule.

Your personal Kawaii item must be under 15 cm (on its longest side). It could be a key chain from your favourite vacation, an accessory from a close friend, an item from your most memorable event or fondest experience!

There will be materials provided to create a letter to put into the capsule on-site, but everyone is welcome to bring their own small item or pre-made letter from home!

Please come and join us for this wonderful opportunity.

Sebastian Masuda:

Artist / Art director / Japan Cultural Envoy / Visiting Scholar at NYU /
Visiting professor for Kyoto University of Art and Design and Yokohama College of Art and Design

 Mr. Masuda was born in 1970. He is a visiting professor at Kyoto University of Art and Design and Yokohama College of Art and Design. After active involvement in theater performances and modern art, he opened “6%DOKIDOKI,” a shop with the concept of “Sensational Kawaii” in Harajuku in 1995. Through his world tour titled “Harajuku Kawaii Experience”, which started in 2009, Mr. Masuda has been actively promoting Harajuku culture on a global scale. He gained worldwide attention for his PV production for “PONPONPON”, the debut single of Japanese pop icon “Kyary Pamyu Pamyu”. He has also been active as an artist and art director to contextualize Harajuku Kawaii culture by, for example, establishing the concept restaurant “KAWAII MONSTER CAFÉ” in Tokyo.

Mr. Masuda’s first solo exhibition “Colorful Rebellion – Seventh Nightmare” opened in New York in 2014. He is now working on a participatory art project called “Time After Time Capsule” around the world.