Since its birth in 2018, Tokyo Love Hotels has showcased over 300 local and international artists, pop-ups, and performance acts. In collaboration with Metropolis, Tokyo Love Hotels cherry-picks 3 talents each month to be featured as LOVEHO SELECTS, showcasing artists and small businesses to readers and culture enthusiasts alike.

Tokyo Love Hotels is an art-event organization based in Tokyo, Japan, that gathers local and international talents of all ranges to share a night of art, music, experiences, and love with the community. They support artists by providing space for them to perform, promote, network, sell, and exhibit their work; free of charge and commission.

Artist: 糖衣 華 (Toi Hana)

LoveHo says: 

糖衣 華 (Toi Hana) ‘s pieces can be described with three keywords; peculiar, cute, and otherworldly. Her costumes and figures are made with meticulous detail, creating life-like characters with a creativity of seemingly no bounds. She invites us to meet, wear and befriend these peculiar creatures, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.

Biography:

糖衣 華 (Toi Hana) mainly creates mascot costumes (Kigurumi) and stuffed animals of aliens and monsters on the theme of the embodiment of imaginary friends. After attending special makeup school, she worked for a company that made movie sets, and is now an artist based in Tokyo.

Message from 糖衣 華 (Toi Hana): 

“After graduating from makeup school, I started to create alien mascot costumes on my own. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always loved cute and strange things. If a creature that is not supposed to exist in this world were to move in front of you, everyone would find it strange and very exciting! I look forward to meeting you somewhere!“

Instagram:

@poifull_co

DJ: BiBiYUA

LoveHo says: 

Aside from reliable and great sets, BiBiYUA injects style, poise, and professionalism to any booking. She is a connected powerhouse with vast knowledge of the scene, seamlessly blending the timeless with the current, providing something of interest for each listener. 

Biography:

Originally from Zama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, she started DJing in high school. Her debut? It happened during A$AP Rocky’s 2019 Japan tour. Now based in Tokyo, she plays the latest beats like HIPHOP, R&B, and Afrobeat. Mixing different genres is her style, thanks to her unique style and great sense of music. Apart from DJing, she’s also modeling and designing jewelry. She’s got a cool vibe that Gen Z folks really dig.

Message from BiBiYUA:

“DJing is a very important and special activity for me. Through DJing, I constantly make many discoveries and meet new people. I connected with Tokyo Love Hotels through such encounters. It played a significant role in my personal growth. Just as it is a tool for people to enjoy the changing times, I want to continue to excite myself and those around me to the fullest.”

Instagram:

@bibiyua

Animation Artist / Illustrator: AYAKA OHIRA

LoveHo says: 

Nostalgic futurism, or futuristic nostalgia? 

We’d like to think of AYAKA OHIRA as an artist of both. She creates a world filled with alienesque characters, oftentimes balancing the pure “kawaii” with hidden notes of depth and intricate storytelling. 

What a great place to be.

Biography:

She mainly creates nostalgic animation-based works and has created music videos and artwork for many major artists and hiphop artists such as Tove Lo, m-flo, CHAI, BAD HOP, and JP THE WAVY. She has been sharing her inspirations of Japanese nostalgic anime, manga, and “gyaru” culture with the world. She is also the Co-founder and director of the NFT project “Shinsei Galverse,” which was ranked #1 for 24 hours on opensea, the world’s largest NFT platform, and has been attracting a lot of attention.

Message from AYAKA OHIRA:

“’Nostalgic x Futuristic’–This is the theme of my work. I want the people who see my work to feel the thrill of those days by taking their minds back to their childhood. And I want to sublimate the nostalgic look to modern values by coexisting with the latest technology.”

Instagram:

@_ayakaohira_