Art for Animation: Kosuke Hayashi

Kosuke Hayashi — First Solo Exhibition Outside Japan

Exhibition Opening:
June 5, 2025 (open to the public)

Exhibition Duration:
June 5 – October 5, 2025

Location:
Riekeles Gallery
Am Bassin 10
14467 Potsdam, Germany

Opening Hours:
Thursday – Saturday, 12:00 – 18:00

Kosuke Hayashi, March 2025 in Tokyo

We are thrilled to announce our next exhibition: a landmark solo show featuring the works of Kosuke Hayashi, one of the leading background artists and art directors of the new generation in Japanese animation.

The exhibition opens on June 5, 2025, at Riekeles Gallery in Potsdam and will run until October 5. It marks the first solo show of Hayashi’s work outside Japan — and the first ever solo exhibition in Germany dedicated to an anime background artist.

Hayashi, currently working at Studio Ghibli, is renowned for his hand-painted style using traditional materials like poster color and brush on paper. At a time when much of the animation industry has gone digital, his painterly technique stands out for its subtlety, depth, and material presence.

The exhibition will present Hayashi’s background art for In This Corner of the World and The Boy and the Heron, alongside a selection of personal works — many of which will be shown publicly for the first time. These paintings reflect Hayashi’s own artistic vision, beyond the constraints of film production.

In conjunction with the exhibition, we will also offer a series of limited-edition solegraphs (our term for fine art reproductions), as well as original artworks for purchase. For the first time in the history of the gallery, we are offering original pieces by the artist.

Hayashi will travel to Germany for the opening and will be present at several events:

– June 3: Workshop at Film University Babelsberg
– June 5: Exhibition opening at Riekeles Gallery
– June 6: Film screening and talk at Filmmuseum Potsdam

Prior to the opening, Hayashi will also appear at the Nippon Connection Film Festival in Frankfurt, where he will receive the 2025 Nippon Rising Star Award. His work will be featured in several film screenings, including The Imaginary, In This Corner (and Other Corners) of the World, and Modest Heroes.

We’re very much looking forward to welcoming him to Potsdam and to celebrating his extraordinary contributions to the art of Japanese animation.

More details soon.

— Stefan