A 2009 graduate of Osaka University of Arts, Eri Moon had a heavy presence in the art scene from 2009 – 2019. Like many Japanese youth in the music and art scene, Eri made a short, but dynamic, impact on Osaka art and nightlife with her many exhibitions and art events.
Eri’s not active in the art world anymore, but over the years I frequently photographed her around Osaka at the places where she displayed her art. Unfortunately, many of the places are gone now and have become the “Ghosts” of Osaka.
Eri’s art medium is printmaking, and she and Kim Dunstan (from Fashion episode 10) used the now-closed Print Studio Kobaicho to create their art. Eri’s work focused on the female form, and her prints were characterized by simple, dynamic lines. She worked in etching, engraving, and aquatint. Tragically, most of her work and printing plates were destroyed in a house fire.
Eri has always had a simple and economical fashion sense, but she almost always made her style all her own with the perfect choice of hat. Here she dons one of her father’s straw hats on the steps outside Namba Hatch, a popular summer hang out for Osaka’s youth.
Eri’s green hat from a vintage store in San Francisco unintentionally matched the interior here at Cafe Absinthe in Kitahorie. After 16 years, the Kitahorie location, which was the first Absinthe restaurant, closed in 2024. The Absinthe group still has three locations, but the original was the most well known for its community of DJs and artists, and legendary parties. Two of which were the massive Ame-mura-wide Halloween Rampage party, and the annual Head Space art event which featured a group art exhibition based around the work of UK artists doing residencies at the now-closed Head Space Studio in Nara. The studio was run by Scottish artist Jamie Goodenough who currently runs Headfull which creates visual displays, including projection mapping.
Here Eri wore a black beret from Uni-Qlo at Pratas Cafe in the Misono Building – one of Osaka’s oldest remaining “snack bar” buildings in Namba. Pratas was a cool, Showa-style cafe in a former Karaoke club. At Pratas, Eri and her friend DJ Aaty organized a music and art event called Give Me An Easy Life which occurred two or three times a year. The event featured works by several artists, and music by three to four DJs. Pratas closed in 2014, and the whole Misono Building will close this year.
Eri and DJ Aaty at Pratas. Arty has been living and DJing in Berlin for about a decade now.
A photo I took of Eri at Osaka Castle. The photo was on display for the second or third Give Me An Easy Life exhibition.
After Pratas closed, Give Me An Easy Life moved to New Japan Club on the rooftop of the New Japan Sauna in Ame-mura, but only featured DJs, as the club lacked room for displaying art. The Sauna was torn down a few years later. Eri illustrated the flyers and posters for all Give Me An Easy Life events. The name Give Me An Easy Life comes from the lyrics of the song Goodbye by The Sundays.
The bar at New Japan Club. The space was very popular, but the New Japan building was just too old to continue operating.
An exhibition at Seaside Studio CASO (Creative Arts Space Osaka) took us to Osaka Bay on an extremely humid summer day. Eri wore an oversized pink straw hat borrowed from her grandmother.
CASO is an extremely large space that usually has several exhibitions occurring at the same time. On the day we went in 2009, one room was used for projection mapping. I believe the gallery has changed ownership, so info about exhibitions before 2020 is difficult to locate, and crediting the artist is a little difficult now.
A print on display at Eri’s solo exhibition “The Blind Work” at 2kw Gallery in 2015. 2kw used to be on the north side of Utsubo Park with a gorgeous view of the park, but it has since relocated to Shiga. The gallery operated as an artist collective where many of the regular artists there ran the gallery themselves. One of which was Shimada So, one of Osaka’s best young artists.
A rare hat-less Eri at 2kw.
Hopefully, some day Eri will return to making art, but her legacy in the Osaka art scene will remain regardless.
In the meantime, Kansai Gallery Map is a useful guide to finding exhibitions around Osaka, where you can discover the fantastic up-and-coming young artists of Osaka who may make their mark like Eri did.
