Various works from Shigeto Koyama, the character designer of Promare and Heroman, as well as the mechanical designer of Darling in the Franxx, will be on display in New York City’s NowHere from November 9 to November 22.
The exact contents of the SHIGETO KOYAMA CCMS experiment OBAKE exhibition, which is the inaugural item of Sony Music Entertainment Japan’s new “Art × Entertainment” project, are a mystery at this time, but it will “present a range of work from his critically acclaimed animated projects and expound on the creative processes at their genesis.” For reference, some of the other well-known titles Koyama has worked on include:
• Diebuster (co-mechanical designer)
• Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt (as coordinator, ending animation illustrator, and more)
• Kill la Kill (as art director [distinct from the background art-related art director credit] and co-storyboard artist of the second ending)
• Star Driver (Cybody designer)
• SSSS.GRIDMAN (Alexis designer)
• SSSS.DYNAZENON (design advisor)
• Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (co-character designer)
• Baymax (Baymax concept designer)
According to the press release, the exhibition “begins with an emphasis on Mr. Koyama’s distinctive multidisciplinary roles to provide a deeper understanding of animated works as ‘mass-produced products born from collaborative efforts,’ underscoring the unique humanity involved in its creation.” A quote from Koyama says that he “would like to showcase various facets of the role of a ‘designer’ in animation” and “convey the more intriguing aspects of ‘animation production’ and ‘design’ in a comprehensible manner.”
In addition to the displays, there will be two talks by Koyama, one on November 11 from 2PM to 4PM EST and another on November 20 from 6PM TO 8PM EST. The first talk is free, while the second requires tickets.
Regarding the exhibition’s name, CCMS is a creative group that includes Koyama, graphic designer Tsuyoshi Kusano, and art director Ai Nonaka. Obake-chan, a picture book series, was their first original work, with Koyama being responsible for the illustrations. Koyama also directed an Obake-chan short for Japan Anima (tor) ‘s Exhibition, a distribution project for short animation.
Source: Press release
