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The Park Hotel Tokyo (Shiodome Media Tower), in December 2012, started the “Artist in Hotel” project where an artist decorates an entire guestroom. The project is still in progress. By 2016, all the guestrooms on the 31st floor will be so decorated, and the “Artist Room Lucky Cat”, the 18th in the series, has now been completed.
“Artist in Hotel” is the hotel version of “Artist in Residence”. The artist himself stays in the hotel, absorbs the atmosphere of the hotel while partaking of its facilities and services, and fashions a hotel room into a work of art. Inspired by the “Japanese sense of aesthetics”, the artist paints directly on the walls of the room as if it were a tapestry, and affixes original paintings and objects to the walls so that the entire room becomes a room with the artist’s view of the world. These rooms, which evoke typical Japanese themes like “Sumo” and “Zen”, are primarily offered to overseas guests, and are highly appreciated.
The artist Hyogo Mino started to work on the “Lucky cat”, the 18th room in the series, on 21th October, 2015, continued the work for about one month while he stayed in the hotel, and completed it on 21th November, 2015.
The theme of this room is Lucky Cat, and Japanese famous author Soseki Natsume is the key player behind theme. The walls acting as the bedside screen feature mysterious Lucky Cat. Among them, Mino has also added beckoning demons and mythical monster cats as a modern motif. Between the Lucky Cats gathering around the bed, a poem about cats by Soseki Natsume can be seen. On the ceiling, Mino has written a message dedicated to Kone, his own departed feline companion for 13 years, borrowing from Soseki Natsume’s first novel “I am a cat”. Mino has arranged the final scene, and then to return to the beginning of the novel in his message. On the opposite wall is a picture of an auspicious symbol of good fortune, carefully painted as though it were hung there. The tattoo-patterned cat, seen from behind, give a tasteful impression.
Mino’s paintings and words are unique, somehow familiar and humorous. When night falls, it almost feels as though there are more Lucky Cat outside the window. It feels just like being in Soseki Natsume’s story, letting guests enjoy a sensation as if humans and Lucky Cat having switched places in this room. We are proud to offer our guests from around the world the opportunity to experience this unique and different feeling in the Artist Room Lucky Cat.
[Artist Room Lucky Cat Outline]
Opening: 7th December, 2015 (online and phone reservations accepted)
Room: Double occupancy, 22 square meters
Bed size: 1600 x 1950 mm
Rate: 40,000 yen per night for two persons (including taxes and service charges)
Reservation and other questions: +81-3-6252-1100
https://parkhoteltokyo.com/art-at-park-hotel-tokyo/artist-in-hotel/
[Cooperation] Hagurodo
[Producer] creative unit moon
Mino Hyogo
Born in Beppu-shi, Oita in 1953. Graduated from Rikkyo University Economics Department. After retiring from a publishing company, he studied under the artist Kei Hiraga. In his 30’s, he frequented the Asakusa Mokuba-Kan Theater. While selling round rice crackers and peanuts, he turned his attention to popular art painting auspicious theater billboards featuring a lucky doll, beckoning cat and good luck character symbols. Later, he went on to paint “tableaux vivants” of people in the near future (human magic), and an Asakusa version of the famous “Views in and Around the City of Kyoto”, which he named “Landscape of Asakusa People”. Then, taking the name “Fine Arts Traveler”, he wandered the length and breadth of Japan together with other painters doing artistic activities. From his 50’s, he began to paint Japanese “supernatural creatures”.
At present, he lives alone with two pet cats in a town alongside the Bungo-Suido ocean straits which separate Kyushu from Shikoku. He is now planning a painting of supernatural hot spring creatures on the theme of “Beppu”, where he was born.
He is the author of the books “Asakusa Mokuba-Kan Theater Diary” (Chikuma Shobo), and “Getaway Diary” (Yubun Shoin).
Click here to download PDF version.
