Carefully Selected from 600 Works! The Forefront of Hungarian Illustration Gathers in Tokyo: "Budapest Illustration Festival in Tokyo"

The Liszt Institute Hungarian Cultural Center (Azabu-Juban, Tokyo) is pleased to announce the special exhibition "Budapest Illustration Festival in Tokyo," which will be held from Wednesday, April 15, to Tuesday, June 30, to introduce contemporary Hungarian illustration art. This exhibition is a traveling showcase featuring award-winning works from the Budapest Illustration Festival (commonly known as "Biffest"), one of Hungary's largest illustration celebrations. Furthermore, two special exhibitions (a V4 match label exhibition and a star-themed exhibition) will be held concurrently during the event period. Illustration, which transcends language and borders to share stories and ideas, now plays a vital role in global cultural exchange. This exhibition presents the forefront of contemporary Hungarian works, as well as expressions deeply connected to Japanese culture, allowing visitors to experience the cultural exchange between Japan and Hungary. We invite you to come and see it. Biffest is Hungary's largest open-call exhibition and event series dedicated to introducing Hungarian illustration art. Held biennially since 2019, it attracts a wide range of artists, from young talents to renowned professionals. Works from diverse fields—including literary illustrations, children's books, scientific illustrations, and silent books—are displayed, promoting Hungarian illustration culture to the world. This exhibition focuses on award-winning works from Biffest, one of Hungary's largest illustration events. Biffest is known for its large-scale exhibitions consisting of over 600 works; this Tokyo exhibition features a carefully curated selection of the most highly acclaimed award-winning pieces. In particular, "silent books" are gaining global attention as a new form of expression that tells stories through pictures alone, and they are highly regarded as works that can share narratives across countries and languages. You can enjoy the rich world of contemporary Hungarian illustration art, where the fresh sensibilities of young artists coexist with the solid techniques of experienced creators. This exhibition also introduces kamishibai (paper theater) works by the Budapest-based children's book publisher, Csimota. Kamishibai is a form of storytelling born in Japan, characterized by the way the story unfolds like a stage play as the pictures are shown one by one. In Hungary, this Japanese cultural form has evolved in a unique way and is being introduced as a new expression that fuses children's literature with illustration. Kamishibai, which transforms picture books from something read into something experienced, has been attracting global attention in recent years as a culture that can be enjoyed by everyone from children to adults. In addition to the display of Hungarian-produced kamishibai, we are planning special events during the exhibition period, including lectures on art history and kamishibai storytelling sessions. We hope you enjoy them. A special exhibition featuring match labels from the four Central European countries (V4)—Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland—will also be held. V4, also known as the Visegrád Group, is a regional cooperation framework that collaborates in many fields, including politics, economy, and culture. Hungary holds the presidency from 2025 to 2026. The match labels on display are from the collection of Japanese match label collector Shingo Kikuchi. Mr. Kikuchi has been collecting European match labels as a hobby for many years and has introduced the culture of match labels by producing books showcasing their charm. This exhibition presents match labels from the four Central European countries selected from Mr. Kikuchi's valuable collection. Produced between the 1950s and 1970s, they depict diverse themes such as folk costumes, animals, and historical architecture. You can view unique and valuable visual cultural materials from Central Europe, where the society, culture, and design sensibilities of the time are condensed into small pieces of paper. [Exhibition Period] Wednesday, April 15, 2026 – Friday, May 29, 2026 In the latter half of the exhibition period, we will hold a special exhibition titled "The World of Painted Stars." This exhibition introduces illustration works themed around stars and the universe, allowing you to see a collection of works that reinterpret the motif of "stars," which has stirred people's imaginations since ancient times, through a contemporary visual lens. Additionally, on June 4, we are planning a talk event and workshop featuring participating artists Orsolya Csilléri and Csilla Gévai. In addition to explaining their works, the event will cover the background of their creations and their approach to stars. There will also be a drawing experience where participants can get hands-on, as well as a workshop for making paper "decorative kites." This is an experiential special program where you can deepen your understanding by creating art yourself, rather than just viewing the world of the works. [Exhibition Period] Monday, June 1, 2026 – Tuesday, June 30, 2026 We will also be holding a quiz project at the venue related to the exhibited works. It is a participatory exhibition where visitors can enjoy the works more deeply by solving mysteries while observing the illustrations closely. We are planning to give commemorative gifts to those who answer all questions correctly, so please participate. ■ April 15 (Wed): "Special Lecture" "A Bridge of Images: Art Exchange between Japan and Hungary" Lecture by art historian Professor Emese Révész ■ April 21 (Tue): "Talk Event" Tuesday Talk 24: "Etoki (Picture Decoding) – Match Labels of Central Europe (V4)" Talk event by Japanese match label collector Shingo Kikuchi ■ May 19 (Tue): "Kamishibai Event" A kamishibai event presenting Hungarian paper theater in Japanese. ■ June 4 (Thu): "Workshop" Talk event by Orsolya Csilléri and Csilla Gévai, plus a drawing experience and a workshop for making paper "decorative kites." Please check the link here for the latest information: https://culture.hu/jp/tokio Carefully Selected from 600 Works! The Forefront of Hungarian Illustration Gathers in Tokyo "Budapest Illustration Festival in Tokyo" ~A Bridge of "Images" Connecting Japan and Hungary~ Exhibition Overview Period: April 15 (Wed) – June 30 (Tue) Opening Hours: 11:00 – 17:00 (*Last admission 16:45) *Closed: Every Saturday/Sunday/Japanese and Hungarian public holidays (April 29 (Wed), May 1 (Fri), May 4 (Mon) – May 6 (Wed), May 25 (Mon)) Venue: Liszt Institute Hungarian Cultural Center, Embassy of Hungary Address: 1F Hibiya Azabu-Juban Bldg., 3-8-1 Azabu-Juban, Minato-ku, Tokyo *Access: 3-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Namboku Line Phone: 03-6459-4931 (Main)