Shiseido Donates Public Art Titled “Crystal of Light” to Tokyo Metro Ginza Line Ginza Station

Shiseido Company, Limited (“Shiseido”) will donate public art titled “Crystal of Light” to the Tokyo Metro* Ginza Line, Ginza Station on Friday, October 16, 2020 as part of community development plans toward the beautification of the city of Ginza, which is Shiseido’s birthplace, and sharing beauty with the world through art.
* Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Taito-ku, Tokyo; President: Akiyoshi Yamamura, hereafter “Tokyo Metro”)

“Crystal of Light”

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About ”Crystal of Light”

The work, a light sculpture consisting of 636 crystal glasses with special facets, was created by world-famous artist Tokujin Yoshioka. He used a world map to program the directions of lights in the work and designed to express the world with light. Innumerable glows emitted from the crystal glasses form a huge light, which conveys a wish for peace, that “the world be united as one with all lives on earth”, and gives off a radiance for the people in the city, becoming a new symbol of Ginza Station.

Tokyo Metro public art installation

Tokyo Metro is promoting the installation of public artworks in sync with station construction and renewal to create comfortable, enriched cultural spaces. Works will be installed at five stations on the Ginza Line (Kyobashi Station, Ginza Station, Toranomon Station, Aoyama 1-chome Station, and Gaienmae Station) where renewal construction is carried out.

Shiseido and Ginza

Shiseido was founded in Ginza in 1872 as Japan's first private Western-style pharmacy. Since then, we have continued to create new value together with the city of Ginza, which has always embraced and developed newness with willing, accepting attitude. With our corporate mission “BEAUTY INNOVATIONS FOR A BETTER WORLD” set in 2019, we respond to ever-diversifying beauty values and take on the challenge of innovation that brings confidence, courage, joy and happiness to the people all over the world.

＜Overview of public art＞
Release date: Friday, October 16, 2020
Artist: Tokujin Yoshioka
Title of work: ”Crystal of Light”
Size: Approximately 1.65 m length, 3.5 m width
Location: Tokyo Metro Ginza Station Exit B6 area

＜Artist profile＞
Tokujin Yoshioka
Artist

Born in 1967. Established his own studio, TOKUJIN
YOSHIOKA INC. in 2000. Active in the fields of design, architecture and contemporary art, he is highly acclaimed globally with the poetic works themed on light.

The glass bench exhibited at Musée d'Orsay called “Water Block,” the crystal prism architecture “Rainbow Church,” the natural crystal chair “VENUS,” the glass teahouse “KOU-AN,” and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Torch are some of the many masterpieces announced.

Many of his works are chosen as part of permanent collections in world renowned museums, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Musée National d'Art Moderne (Centre Pompidou).

He has won many international awards including Mainichi Design Award, The Art Encouragement Prizes for New Artist, Design Miami Designer of the Year, and Milano Design Award.

He was selected by Newsweek magazine as one of the 100 Most Respected Japanese in the World.

Tokujin Yoshioka

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