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.”

DJ: Samantha Mariko 

LoveHo says: 

Samantha Mariko is a multi-talented and professional powerhouse. Seamlessly blending genres and vibes, each of her DJ sets take you on a ride from past- to present-, and back. She has a track for everyone, and makes sure to entertain with both turntable-talent and juicy looks. Samantha Mariko has been our go-to DJ for Tokyo Love Hotels whenever we need some proper girl power, or just a reliable and entertaining set. She regularly performs at top venues and events around the city, so make sure to go give Samantha Mariko some love!

Biography:

Samantha Mariko is a DJ based in Tokyo with roots in Southern California. After graduating UCLA with a B.A. in piano performance, she moved to Tokyo to pursue a modeling career. Since then, she has expanded her career in areas such as PR/ marketing, blogging, producing events, hosting radio and podcast shows, narration, MCing and interpreting events and TV shows, as well as producing music. Her hobbies include reading, karaoke, anime and Japanese calligraphy. 

Message from Samantha Mariko:

“If something interests you, try it. I think doing so helped me learn skills I never thought I would learn 10 years ago. Also, in recent years, I realized that having a hobby and pursuing it is so important for work/life balance. And always trust your gut!”

Official Website:
https://www.samanthamariko.com/

Instagram:
http://www.instagram.com/samanthamariko/

Artist: Mori Yoshimoto

LoveHo says: 

Mori Yoshimoto is proof that art school is not necessarily the key to talent.

From the moment we saw Mori Yoshimoto’s works, we were lured in with a suggestion of simplicity, but boy was there depth and underlying notes carefully planted across all his works. Mori is a free-spirited creator, and we know that his persona and art will take him across the world, as the Lovehos will secretly be crushing over him behind the corner.

Biography:

I am learning to draw primarily through self-study, without attending school, using books, movies, and YouTube. Additionally, I periodically travel abroad, mainly to gain a more objective perspective on myself, which is why I regularly leave Japan. Currently, I am staying in Australia.

Message from Mori Yoshimoto:

“When asked, ‘What does this artwork mean?’ I strive to create pieces that can be explained without relying on words like ‘sensation’ or ‘sentiment’.”

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/morinago/

VJ: Vio Zhu

LoveHo says: 

Vio is the queen of visuals. There may be many VJs around town, but there aren’t many that actually possess the power to create an atmosphere as spot on and unique as the performance or event. For this very reason, Tokyo Love Hotels has had the honor of having Vio as the official VJ for the past few events, and she has truly given us the full artistic experience we envisioned. We recommend Vio for all your VJing dreams and endeavors. 

Biography:

Vio Zhu is a software engineer turned interdisciplinary media artist living and working in Tokyo. Fascinated by the power of visuals and audio to inject emotion into a scene, Vio has focused on creating interactive experiences that offer an auditory and visually engaging atmosphere. By making use of creative coding and artificial intelligence, Vio constructs visually stunning results that have an organic and authentic feel to them. Drawing inspiration from the patterns and behaviors in nature, she enjoys finding ways to bring together traditional forms of art with technology to create boundary-pushing opportunities for expression.

Message from Vio Zhu:

”Hello dear Metropolis readers, 

Stepping away from the structured world of software engineering and diving into the vast ocean of media art has been a journey of profound discovery for me. From the buzzing streets of Tokyo, I’ve found solace and inspiration in the intricate dance of visuals and sounds, aiming to immerse you in atmospheres where technology and nature coalesce. It’s a space where the logic of coding meets the randomness of nature, producing experiences that are both strikingly beautiful and deeply evocative. Thank you for joining me on this journey. Let’s explore, feel, and reimagine the world together. 

Warmly, Vio Zhu”

Official Website:
https://www.viozhu.com/

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/vio.zhu/