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Programs

Hiroko SATO / BE / Yayoi Kuroda

OSAKA DESIGN CENTER GALLERY 2026

dates
5/27 wed. - 6/23 tue.
※Closed on Saturday and Sunday.
hours
10:00-17:00
location
OSAKA DESIGN CENTER

This exhibition brings together talents from diverse genres. Works by three ODC member designers and artists, alongside pieces by the artist awarded the Osaka Design Centre Prize at UNKNOWN ASIA, will be displayed within the indoor passage.


First, Hiroko Sato, recipient of the Osaka Design Centre Prize at UNKNOWN ASIA, presents her “Within Me, Myself.” series, depicting animals and children existing as unified beings. Live painting sessions are also scheduled during the exhibition period.


BE transforms obi sashes – considered Japan's finest textiles – into unique products, liberating them from conventional kimono remakes and attempting to reconstruct them as art.


Kuroda Yayoi, whose work centres on designs conveying emotion, values the discoveries and creativity born from play through “nocilis”, educational toys fostering children's imagination. Workshops are also scheduled during the period.
Photographer Hisami Wakabayashi creates works utilising classical photography to express a fantastical worldview.

 

TOP image:Hiroko SATO『me, in a deer.』

BE『Nadeshiko Botan』

Yayoi Kuroda『nocilis®』

Artist / Brand

Hiroko SATO

Artist. Living in Osaka.
Using a variety of media, including oil painting, watercolor, and ceramics, I portray "beings" with instincts and wills, such as animals, children, and food with faces.
In recent years, I have been presenting the "Me Within Me" series, in which animals and children coexist as one.
2012 Graduated from the Department of Fine Arts, Kyoto City University of Arts, Department of Oil Painting
2014 Completed the Master's Program in Painting, Department of Oil Painting, Kyoto City University of Arts, Graduate School of Fine Arts
2012 Selected for the Shell Art Award
2013 Grand Prize Winner, Kobe Biennale Painting Art Exhibition
2024 KOBE ART MARCE 2024
　　 Infinity Japan Contemporary Art Show 2024 (Taiwan)
2025 OSAKA ART FES HANSHI (Hanshin Umeda Main Store)

website

BE

The obi sleeping in your wardrobe is not just old cloth. BE is a brand that reconstructs obi—textiles infused with centuries of Japanese aesthetic—as art, transcending the boundaries of traditional kimono remakes. BE offers freedom from kimono conventions and remake norms, presenting a new value: “choosing” the most beautiful moments from the myriad elements woven into each obi. With a graphic designer’s discerning eye and refined color schemes following the three-color rule, each product harmonizes uniquely with contemporary fashion. BE has established the unique field of “Obi Re:mix,” aiming for high-value expressions where tradition meets modernity. Every detail matters—from the tactile feel and sound of clasp purses, to delivering “wearable art” that brings extraordinary moments to everyday life.

website

Yayoi Kuroda / nocilis🄬

A product designer whose work centers on creating designs that clearly convey ideas and intentions.
She planned and designed the educational toy nocilis, which nurtures children’s imagination and creativity.
Using 3D CAD and 3D printing, she also develops mechanisms and kinetic pieces, valuing the discoveries and creativity that emerge through play.

Her work spans daily goods, interior products, home appliances, and industrial equipment.
She provides consistent support throughout the product development process, from early concept planning to design, engineering, and sales support.

website

Gallery

Osaka Design Center

Senba, long developed as a textile district. Within the Senba Centre Building, where numerous wholesalers still line the streets, lies the Osaka Design Centre (ODC). Established in 1960 as Japan's first publicly funded design centre, it has continued to serve as Osaka's central hub for industrial design, connecting people, businesses, and information through design.
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Semba Center Building 2-101,1-3 Sembachuo,Chuo-ku,Osaka-city

website