NEIGHBORHOOD is turning one of its most recognisable objects into a large-scale sculpture with IDOLS OF SMOKE, a new exhibition in Tokyo’s Harajuku district.
Presented at StandBy, the exhibition expands the Japanese label’s collectible incense chamber into dramatically oversized ceramic works. The presentation builds on the archive shown at last year’s NEIGHBORHOOD 30TH ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION at Laforet Museum.
For the new exhibition, NEIGHBORHOOD has selected seven representative incense chamber designs. Each has been reconstructed at a much larger scale as a limited-edition art piece.
NEIGHBORHOOD Turns a Functional Object Into Sculpture
The incense chamber has long been central to NEIGHBORHOOD’s design language. Originally conceived as a functional ceramic object, the chamber has appeared in numerous iterations and collaborations with artists and brands.
However, IDOLS OF SMOKE shifts the object into a more explicitly sculptural context. By enlarging seven archival designs, the exhibition gives the chambers a physical presence that their original scale cannot provide.
Each design is produced in approximately 15 pieces per shape and colour. As a result, the works occupy a space between collectible objects, functional sculpture, and limited-edition art.
Two of the enlarged pieces also highlight NEIGHBORHOOD’s history of cross-disciplinary collaboration. The selection includes designs created with FUTURA, the influential New York graffiti artist, and Dr. Woo, the Los Angeles tattoo artist known for his delicate single-needle work.
At gallery scale, these collaborations take on a different visual impact. Furthermore, the enlarged forms emphasise how NEIGHBORHOOD’s incense chamber has evolved from a functional home object into a highly collectible expression of the brand’s visual culture.
‘IDOLS OF SMOKE’ Extends NEIGHBORHOOD’s Ceramic Archive
Designer Shinsuke Takizawa founded NEIGHBORHOOD in Harajuku, Tokyo, in 1994. Since then, the label has developed a design language that connects Japanese craftsmanship with references drawn from subculture.
The incense chamber embodies that approach particularly clearly. Consequently, the new exhibition serves as a continuation of the brand’s recent archival presentation rather than a standalone departure.
IDOLS OF SMOKE follows directly from the 30th-anniversary exhibition at Laforet Museum, bringing selected designs from that archive into a new, oversized format.
The presentation will also include a commemorative ceramic salt-and-pepper set alongside a selection of T-shirts. These releases extend the exhibition beyond the large-scale sculptures, offering visitors additional ways to engage with the collection.
IDOLS OF SMOKE runs from July 31 through August 2 at StandBy in Harajuku, Tokyo. Advance lottery sales begin July 31.