HYPER MUSEUM HANNO
HYPER!! magazine 2026 Artist Sebastian Masuda
The official archive book for "KAWAIITOPIA -GO TO HEAVEN (HELL)-," the exhibition by Sebastian Masuda, on view from March through August 2026 at Hyper Museum Hanno as part of the museum's first anniversary celebration.
Sebastian Masuda is the defining voice of KAWAII — Japan's homegrown pop culture phenomenon — with a devoted following around the world. Based between New York and Tokyo, he has been active in theater and contemporary art since the early 1990s, held a solo exhibition in New York in 2014, and has since participated in exhibitions at art spaces, museums, and international art festivals both in Japan and abroad, earning widespread critical acclaim. Rooted in a bold and distinctive sense of color, he opened his creative hub "6%DOKIDOKI" in Harajuku in 1995, expanding his vision across fashion, entertainment, and product development. As the creative force behind the music video art direction for Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's debut, the live production design for her tours, and the concept behind Harajuku's KAWAII MONSTER CAFE, he has been instrumental in bringing KAWAII to the world's attention.
This book documents Sebastian Masuda's first large-scale solo exhibition in five years — and a landmark moment marking the 30th anniversary of 6%DOKIDOKI — in full visual detail: from sweeping views of the entire venue to the intimate details of each installation, and the outdoor work floating on Lake Miyazawa. The exhibition is structured around seven areas, each designed to trace the artist's personal memories and formative experiences, and the book follows that same spatial logic and flow. "KAWAIITOPIA" — a portmanteau of KAWAII and UTOPIA — presents the possibilities of a utopia through KAWAII for a world that has lost its way. KAWAII, as Masuda defines it, is not surface-level cuteness but a value system for affirming and expressing the self. This book is a visual record of how that vision took shape across an entire exhibition space.
Also included is an in-depth interview with Hyper Museum Hanno director Shigeo Goto. Ranging from the philosophical foundations of the exhibition to the pilgrimage-like structure of its journey through hell, and across thirty years of practice at the intersection of art, entertainment, and fashion, the conversation unlocks the heart of the exhibition.
A book that holds both the visual record of the exhibition and the full depth of its ideas.
Publisher: Art Beat Publishers supported by FUJIXEROX
Publication date: May 2026
Size: 318 x 236 mm
Pages: 92 pages