Ikebukuro Montparnasse

I created murals and a series of paintings for BLOCKS IKEBUKURO, a shared office space in Tokyo. This work is inspired by “Ikebukuro Montparnasse,” an artist village that existed in the area before World War II—a creative community where young, impoverished artists moved fluidly between life and work, inspiring and challenging one another.
I was drawn to the parallels between their free, powerful energy and the concept of BLOCKS IKEBUKURO as a “home-like” workplace. Through historical research, I sought to reinterpret the spirit of that time and translate it into the context of a contemporary office space.
The murals are modern reconstructions of this energy, while the paintings are homages to artists connected to Ikebukuro Montparnasse. Together, these works reference the past while posing a question: how can we, today, inherit their spirit—preserving freedom of expression and a more authentic way of living in our daily lives?

Photo: Toshiyuki Yano
Place: BLOCKS IKEBUKURO

2025

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