AVEDA Spa & Salon, TOKYO

Yuki was commissioned by Claude Monet h2o AVEDA to produce the entire artistic facet of their first concept store in Tokyo. Located in Marunouchi, the high-end commercial district between Tokyo station and the Imperial Palace, the newly renovated Tokyo building needed a hands-on artistic approach to convey the concept: "Health, Beauty & Nature".

The artist selected the overarching theme to be 'Asian Red' (right: entrance lobby). The large scale mural measuring 12ft x 24ft (360cm x 720m) used 100% organic materials; painted on multiple sheets of handmade paper with Japanese pigments, persimmon tannin, charcoal ink, which as then mounted directly onto the wall with rice glue. It would act as a bold statement making the store very visible but more importantly, it needed to be Exotic, so that the visitor may return to their oceanic 'retreat', which felt as far away from their daily life as possible.

The artist chose to prioritize the remaining budget to the private rooms where the visitor receives one-on-one treatment, massage and aromatherapy. Unlike the main section which was dedicated for styling & retail and therefore made bright and lively; the entrance through the blue door leading one to the private rooms would be soothing and silent. It had to convey a feeling of expectation and the sense that it was special. Each room was given a theme using primary colors with a consistent organic texture.

Other mediums used were iron, wood, hemp, glass and stone; and expressed in a Japanese way where art and design whether new or old are not treated as separate but rather as one. In order to balance the artificial design of the existing space and furniture, great energy was given to detail in making each piece unique. Each piece was given a function, for example, the custom designed iron lamp placed along the window (right) would make the salon visible from the passing train across the street. Each piece would also serve to make the art as interactive as possible (bottom: discussion table mounted with blue painting & antique Balinese woodblock).

For this commission, Yuki produced all artworks, design and its installation, directed the photography and designed the promotional materials to communicate the Claude Monet H2O Aveda concept as an artistic package.