Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building 2nd floor, Men's Creators will host a solo exhibition by graphic designer Neo Onizuka (NEONiO), who runs his own brand JYUUNANHEART, titled "Things That Can't Be Stopped Once They Start Moving," starting November 4th (Wednesday). The exhibition will feature and sell original artwork, mainly of his pop characters, as well as fashion items such as T-shirts and caps, which will be sold exclusively at Isetan.

This pop-up store will feature collaborative products using archive designs from Onitsuka's time at UNDERCOVER, as well as collaborative products with SUNSEA using graphics created specifically for this project.

We asked Mr. Onizuka about why he started drawing, and about his encounters with Undercover, with whom he is collaborating at this pop-up event, and with designer Jun Takahashi (Jonio).

Why did I start drawing?

—You're currently working as a graphic designer, but I heard you started in the fashion industry. What led you to enter the fashion industry?

"I've always liked clothes, I drew manga, and I listened to Western music and played the guitar because of my brother's influence,"
When I was in high school, I unexpectedly ran into some friends from elementary school in town, and we started hanging out again. At the time, there was a project called "LAST ORGY 2" serialized in the magazine "Takarajima," in which Jun Takahashi, NIGO®, and Jun Murakami were holding club events in various places, and one of those events was held in Kumamoto, so I went to hang out with them.

My friends were all skaters, mods, 50s, vintage, and outdoors—they all had their own styles, and spending time with them every day naturally led me to pursue fashion as my career path. So I researched schools and eventually enrolled in Bunka Fashion College.


"Right after enrolling in April, I was lucky enough to be invited by a senior pro skater from my hometown to see the first collection fashion show for Undercover. That's when I was first introduced to Jun Takahashi. From there, I started hanging out at NOWHERE, then at their office, and in June I started helping out at Undercover."

—You officially joined Undercover right after graduating from Bunka Fashion College. What was the process like?

"It was a natural progression. 'You'll join, right?' 'Yes.' Jun Takahashi often took me out to have fun, and every day was truly exciting and enjoyable."

—Were there any particular things you paid attention to when working on graphics for Undercover?


—You left Undercover in the same year that the brand made its debut at Paris Women's Fashion Week, and launched your own brand, Juunan Heart.

"One day, a former colleague contacted me and asked, 'An acquaintance of mine is opening a shop in Ebisu, would you be interested in stocking some items there?' That's when I started making clothes."
After participating in my first Paris collection, I felt like I'd reached a milestone, so I left Undercover. I wanted to take a little break (laughs). Around that time, a former Undercover employee asked me to draw graphics for clothes as they were starting a shop. But instead of drawing, I ended up making clothes. That was the predecessor to Juunan Heart. It was under a different name, but I think it laid the foundation for the brand.


Then there's another story. Around the same time I quit my job, a friend of mine in Kobe got married, so I had a suit made as a gift. I thought I'd ride my motorcycle from Tokyo to Kobe to attend the wedding, and that's where the nightmare began (laughs). The motorcycle was pretty beat up, so it couldn't even go 100 km/h, it rattled and vibrated a lot while I was riding, and it was freezing cold in the middle of winter... I bought CDs to remember the journey and keep myself motivated.

I kept mishearing the lyrics of the song on that CD and it sounded like "Juunan Heart," so I used it as the brand name, along with my travel memories. This brand doesn't really have a theme; it's just a simple concept of "creating what we want to wear and our own staple items."

I want to do something for my hometown, Kumamoto Prefecture.

—Mr. Onizuka, your work includes pop-style character designs, designs that look like single panels from a manga, and serious graphics, so your style is quite broad, isn't it?


"There are times when I'm moved by something, times when I'm happy, and times when I'm sad. These everyday things become my subject matter. Rather than trying to translate the subject matter into a style, I often work with the subject matter as I draw, so my style naturally becomes quite broad."

However, I try my best to avoid making things too dark and instead paint pictures with a bright atmosphere. I usually jot down whatever comes to mind in a sketchbook, using it like a notebook of ideas, and then I develop ideas for my artwork from there. I don't carry the sketchbook around with me; I often just scribble things down quickly when I get home, recalling what I had thought of.


—What is your process for creating your drawings, Mr. Onizuka?

"First, I make a rough sketch on paper with a pencil, then I import the drawing into my computer. From there, I work on it on the computer, putting together the general composition and completing the coloring. Then I go back to paper and add color with a brush...that's usually how it goes. A task that can be done in 10 minutes on a computer takes an enormous amount of time with a real brush. It's like, 'What, I've been painting for 4 hours and this is all?...What? Seriously...four...it might take a lifetime...' But you also develop an attachment to the piece, so personally, I think that's one of the good things about it."


"When you color something on a computer, the colors tend to be uniform, making it difficult to achieve a nuanced look. With a brush, you layer each color individually, so it's not uniform. Of course, there are pros and cons to both methods, but the way colors are layered with a brush results in a more nuanced and expressive finish."

—How did the "half-closed bear" character, which will also be made into a LINE sticker to commemorate this pop-up event, come about?


"In 2016, a major earthquake struck my hometown, Kumamoto Prefecture. I drew several pictures at that time, including one of a bear helping with the reconstruction of Kumamoto Castle."

Then, while organizing documents during this pandemic, I saw a bear supporting the recovery efforts, and it began to connect with the heavy rains in Kumamoto in July of this year. The banks of the Kuma River...the stone walls of Kumamoto Castle...a bear crossing...a reclining Buddha...with half-closed eyes...cars carrying supplies...the flowers on the stone walls desperately gathering information, the river becoming a skull with horns...the rising sun...I completed the painting while expanding on the story."

—The collaborative items between Undercover and Sunsea will also be released exclusively at Isetan, right?

"Yes, I'm always indebted to Jun Takahashi, and also to Mr. and Mrs. Yoneyama of Sunsea. It's really reassuring to have the cooperation of people I respect. I think the items have turned out wonderfully, so I hope you'll check them out."

—What kind of activities would you like to pursue in the future?

"I want to do activities that make people say, 'It was fun working with you, we got results, and it was enjoyable.' With 'Juunan Heart,' which came about by just going with the flow, I want to express my gratitude to everyone who has helped shape me in the past, and I hope to create something that can bring joy to someone and that people will grow attached to."


*The LINE sticker set "Half-Eyed Bear," created to commemorate this solo exhibition, is scheduled to go on sale November 7th (Saturday).
Text: YASUYUKI USHIJIMA (NO-TECH)
Photo: TAGAWA YUTARO (CEKAI)

For inquiries, please contact: Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building 2nd Floor, Men's Creators