Exhibition Report: HIDETAKA TENJIN 25th Anniversary Exhibition in Tokyo
Looking back on the "HIDETAKA TENJIN 25th Anniversary Exhibition," which featured an extensive display of his past illustrations at Design Festa Gallery EAST from December 1st to the 13th in 2023.
Hidetaka Tenjin is known for his artwork on plastic model box art and mechanical designs for series like Macross, Gundam, and Evangelion. He is also recognized for his talent as a voice actor.
At the entrance, we had a monitor displaying exhibition announcements, but it was almost hidden due to the abundance of congratulatory flowers we received.
Now, heading up to the second-floor exhibition venue. What catches the eye as you ascend the stairs are the large prints of Gundam and Char's Zaku. They were not originally drawn to be this big, but the quality of the prints surprised even Mr. Tenjin himself.
Behind them, there's a life-sized panel of Mr. Tenjin, which is just as impressive as the two artworks. The flowers that couldn't fit outside were placed around this panel, even leading to comments like "It looks like a pre-funeral gathering" (in his own words). 😆
The life-sized panel of Mr. Tenjin unexpectedly became a giveaway to the attendee on the final day of the exhibition. A lottery was held among participants who wished to have it during the autograph session.
Congratulations to the winner!
A diverse range of works, with a focus on plastic model kit box art, were displayed. Mr. Tenjin shared that his lifelong dream was to illustrate Gunpla. He enjoys depicting both mecha and people, paying meticulous attention to size comparisons and details.
The Gouf Custom box art features a background from the view of an apartment he used to live in.
Patlabor holds a special place in his heart, as it was an important work that influenced him greatly during his student days in robotics engineering. He poured a lot of passion into creating this artwork.
In addition to the box art, there were also DVD/BD covers, game-related illustrations, and more – all reflecting the accumulation of 25 years of work.
He not only illustrates but also designs mecha, showcasing his versatility.
Inside the venue, we had a monitor displaying a slideshow of exhibited works and making-of videos for the illustrations. The making-of videos attracted quite a crowd, with many viewers showing enthusiastic interest. Particularly, the illustrations and designs that were imagined from landscapes and everyday objects were truly captivating in content.
On the venue's walls, we received messages from attendees and associates. It was a lavish display of messages from a prestigious group, and by the final day, the walls were filled to the brim.
During the exhibition period, Mr. Tenjin graciously conducted gallery talks, sharing in-depth insights and heartfelt stories about his artworks. He recounted memories associated with each illustration, playful anecdotes, and captivating narratives. We'll be uploading videos of these moments on our YouTube channel soon! Please subscribe and stay tuned.
EDITION88 YouTube Channel
At the merchandise corner, a variety of items were available for sale, including 88Graph products personally signed by Mr. Tenjin for popular series like Evangelion, Patlabor, and Girls und Panzer. Especially, acrylic stands featuring the artist himself were quite popular!
The 88Graph products are available for purchase on our online shop! Feel free to check them out.
We hope you'll keep an eye on Hidetaka Tenjin as he enters the next phase of his artistic journey after celebrating 25 years in the field.
To all the visitors who attended during the exhibition period and to all the readers who have been following this blog, thank you very much!
