Commemorative items to be released at artist August Vilella's 10th Anniv. EXHIBITION | MEDICOM TOY

DESIGN / FEATURES

September 30, 2026

Commemorative items to be released at artist August Vilella's 10th Anniv. EXHIBITION | MEDICOM TOY

MEDICOM TOY | Medicom Toy

Commemorative Items for "August Vilella 10th Anniv. EXHIBITION"

August Vilella, an emerging artist from Barcelona, Spain, now based in Japan, will celebrate the 10th anniversary of his first solo exhibition with a special event. The exhibition will be held from Saturday, October 3 to Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at GINZA ATRIUM within the Ginza Tsutaya Shoten on the 6th floor of GINZA SIX. To commemorate this milestone, MEDICOM TOY will release a collaborative collection of VCDs, plush toys, and apparel. Come and meet his characters with large eyes, born from improvisation!

Text by SHINNO Kunihiko | Photo by NAGAO Masashi | Edit by TOMIYAMA Eizaburo

Coming to Japan Was Fate

──First, could you tell us about how you came to live in Japan?

August VilellaI came to Tokyo for an exhibition in 2020. I was only planning to stay for one or two months before returning to Spain, but the pandemic began at that time. My flight was canceled, and I couldn't go back. My manager then helped me get an artist visa, and I ended up living in Japan.

I had only packed enough for a month. Looking back now, I can only think it was destiny.

August Vilella

Born in Barcelona, Spain, in 1986. He is a self-taught painter whose oil paintings engage with contemporary and classical art. Using a surrealist automatism technique, his paintings, created without prior sketches or ideas, possess psychological depth and meaning reflecting the subconscious. His major solo exhibitions include "Echoes Of Silence" (VILLAZAN, New York, 2024), "Summer Breeze" (JPS Gallery, Hong Kong, 2023), "Autumn Symphony" (Caelis Gallery, Shanghai, 2022), and one held at "La Pedrera-Casa Mila," an architectural work by Antoni Gaudí and a UNESCO World Heritage site. He has also exhibited at "Art Basel Hong Kong," "Art Basel Miami," and "TEFAF New York." He has received numerous awards, including the "Tokyo International Art Fair" Best Artist Award (2016) and the "Global Art Awards" Best Innovative Art Award (2017).

──Weren't you anxious about suddenly having to live in Japan?

August VilellaIt certainly wasn't easy. But I've always tried to believe that there's a reason for everything that happens in life. So, I don't really think about 'what if I had gone back to Spain?' or 'what if I had done this then?'.

Even if something bad happens, it always has a meaning. I try to find something positive in it. That's why I believe staying in Japan was something I needed to experience.

──Were you interested in Japan before?

August VilellaYes. I had visited once for tourism before my solo exhibition. Even then, I was very impressed. The city was calm, people were polite, and nature and the urban landscape coexisted harmoniously.

Although it was a completely different culture from Europe, I felt a sense of comfort. So, even though ending up living in Japan was by chance, it also feels somewhat inevitable.

──What prompted you to start painting?

August VilellaI never attended art school or university. The first form of expression I was interested in was music. I was in a band and also wrote a book about philosophy. It was about 300 pages long. However, both of those have the barrier of "language." If the culture or language is different, the way it's conveyed changes.

In that regard, painting has no language barrier. Colors know no borders. That's why I felt painting was the purest form of expression to connect with people. I could communicate with anyone in the world through the same artwork. I was drawn to that, and that's how I fully committed to art.

──Did growing up in Barcelona influence your current work?

August VilellaAbsolutely. Art was a natural part of life there from childhood. Gaudí was a particularly significant presence. When you walked around the city, the buildings themselves were works of art. Growing up in that environment was very impactful.

However, interestingly, as a child, I didn't really appreciate its value. Because it was there every day, I didn't think it was special. It was only when I started traveling the world as an adult that I realized what a truly special environment it was.

──Does traveling influence your creative process?

August VilellaIt has a very significant impact. I'm the type of person who gets stimulated by encountering new scenery, cultures, and people, rather than staying in one place for too long. When I travel, my perception of what is normal changes. There are so many different ways of thinking and living in the world. Those experiences naturally reflect in my work. That's why I consider travel a part of my creative process.

──Is music still a part of your life?

August VilellaAbsolutely. I still love music. I live in Higashi-Koenji, so there are many live houses nearby. I often go to U.F.O. CLUB, and on weekends, I sometimes go to rock concerts with friends. Lately, I've been very busy with work, so I can't go every week, but music is still an essential part of my life.

I listened to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones from a young age. But just like meeting people, I want to discover new music, so I explore various genres without any particular preference. I even like enka! (laughs).

And in the summer, I return to Spain. I see my parents and friends, rest a bit, and get new energy. That time is also very important.

I'm excited to see what I'll create next

──It's been 12 years since you started painting, and this year marks 10 years since your first solo exhibition, isn't that right?

August VilellaMy first solo exhibition was actually in Tokyo. So, reaching this 10th anniversary feels like closing a circle, a very special milestone for me.

──When you create your work, do you start with sketches?

August VilellaNo, I rarely do. Once I stand in front of the canvas, I start painting immediately. Of course, I don't have a finished image in mind. So, I myself don't know what the final piece will look like.

My work isn't about designing with my head and then painting. Once I start, everything is improvisation. Just like improvising music, I don't know myself who will appear on the canvas next.

In the process of painting, new figures might emerge, colors might change, or the direction might completely shift. I cherish those coincidences.

──Do you never feel lost?

August VilellaOf course, I do. But that feeling of being lost is also part of the artwork.

I don't really have a concept of "failure." Even if something turns out differently than I imagined, it's the path that the artwork chose. So, even if I erase or repaint something, I don't think about "going back to the original plan." I proceed by accepting what is happening at that moment.

──Your work features various characters with large eyes.

August VilellaI unconsciously paint various characters. I don't give specific names to each character, and ideally, I don't want to name my paintings either.

Giving them names inevitably influences the viewer's perception. So, I prefer not to give them names and let people experience the artwork itself, feeling it with their own minds and bodies.

People often ask if there's a model for these figures. But in most cases, there isn't. I don't decide who I'm going to paint when I start. Someone naturally emerges as I'm painting. So, I myself look forward to seeing what kind of person will appear next.

Looking back later, I do realize that the people I've met and my emotions at the time have influenced the work. But I'm not consciously painting them.

──Has living in Japan changed your creative process?

August VilellaYes. Japan's four seasons are incredibly beautiful. Especially in spring, the entire town is dyed in the color of cherry blossoms. That scenery is gradually finding its way into my work. People are very polite and well-mannered, and the safety here has also made my art brighter. Back in Barcelona, my paintings were a bit darker.

Of course, I'm not thinking, "Today I'll paint cherry blossoms." But the scenery I see every day naturally seeps into my work. For me, my work is my life. So, if my living environment changes, my art gradually changes with it.

──Your solo exhibition held at GINZA ATRIUM in Ginza Tsutaya Shoten, on the 6th floor of GINZA SIX in September 2024, was titled "Seasons."

August VilellaJapan's four seasons are very beautiful. The contrast between the seasons is so significant, it provides me with a lot of inspiration.

Cherry blossoms bloom in spring, and snow falls in winter. Depending on the location, snow reliably accumulates every year. Autumn brings beautiful warm colors, and summer, despite the mosquitoes, is lush with greenery, making the forests feel alive.

The natural environment in Japan and Europe is different. In Europe, trees just seem to grow, but in Japan, everything feels alive.

──What significance do colors hold for your work?

August VilellaColors, for me, are a substitute for words. Words have borders. But colors do not. What one feels when looking at red, or what one thinks when looking at blue, varies from person to person. That's why I want to convey emotions through color.

My aim is not to explain something, but to be a catalyst for emotions to arise within the viewer. I choose colors with that feeling in mind.

──Are you embedding any specific message?

August VilellaActually, I don't prepare a single answer. I'm happy if viewers can feel something freely. That's enough for me.

The same piece might appear as hope to one person and loneliness to another. Both are valid. I don't want to impose an answer. I see my work as a dialogue with the viewer.

──Do you sometimes hear unexpected reactions from people who see your work?

August VilellaMany times. I'm surprised when they say, "I never thought of it that way." But that's what makes it interesting.

Once a piece is finished, it's no longer just mine. It merges with each viewer's life and experiences, creating new meanings. I love that moment.

Experience the Work Born Through Time in the Moment

──What is the theme of the "August Vilella 10th Anniv. EXHIBITION"?

August VilellaIt's "Time." Because it's such a significant moment. I haven't experienced so many things in any other 10-year period.

Although it's called an "EXHIBITION," I want people to simply experience that moment. This is because these are paintings created intuitively, not systematically planned for an exhibition. The concept of the 10th anniversary makes the theme of "Time" very meaningful.

──As commemorative items, collaborations with MEDICOM TOY, including figures and apparel, will also be released. The VCDs, for instance, are partly inspired by the "cherry blossoms" you experienced in Japan.

August VilellaTwo years ago, after my solo exhibition at GINZA SIX, the people from MEDICOM TOY visited me, and we had several meetings. We hit it off and found common ground, so we decided to create something interesting together.

Our first collaboration was a BE@RBRICK, which was exhibited at "BE@RBRICK WORLD WIDE TOUR 3 in Seoul" (scheduled for October 2025). It was very special for me as it was my first BE@RBRICK. I wanted to create something completely different from existing BE@RBRICKs.

──Have you been interested in three-dimensional objects for a long time?

August VilellaYes. Because I want to make my work accessible to a wider community, to more people.

As you know, original paintings are one-of-a-kind items, so unfortunately, they are not something everyone can easily afford. Therefore, by creating related products that are more accessible, I want to bring joy to everyone.

──We sincerely hope many people will be able to obtain them. What do you, as an artist, value most?

August VilellaBeing honest. If I chase trends or paint to be praised by others, it stops being my own work. I want to paint only what I truly feel. If, as a result, it touches someone's heart, I would be very happy.

──Have you made many friends in Japan?

August VilellaYes, many. I enjoy going to concerts and art exhibitions, and I like meeting people. They give me inspiration. However, I regret not having enough time to meet them because I'm so busy.

──You posted a photo with Imai Hisashi from BUCK-TICK on your Instagram.

August VilellaWe are friends. Imai-san is a wonderful person and an amazing guitarist. He also loves art and comes to my exhibitions every time. I was with him just last week. We've also talked about maybe doing something together.

──We are looking forward to your 10th-anniversary exhibition and your future projects. Is there anything you would like to convey to those who will see your work?

August VilellaYou don't need to overthink it. You don't need to search for an answer like, "What does this mean?" First, just stand in front of the artwork and value what you feel.

If the piece can move your heart even a little, that's enough for me.

[August Vilella 10th Anniv. EXHIBITION Commemorative Items]

Purchase Method | All items will be available for advance sale at the "August Vilella 10th Anniv. EXHIBITION" held from Saturday, October 3 to Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at GINZA ATRIUM in Ginza Tsutaya Shoten, 6F GINZA SIX (6-10-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo). They will be released subsequently at MEDICOM TOY's directly managed stores and other outlets.