On November 19, artist Honoka Yoshifuku and AKB48 Yurina Gyoten appeared as special guests at the "ASIA NEO ART FEST 2022" art festival held at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. The event featured appearances by Nicole Buffett, granddaughter of renowned investor Warren Buffett and an artist named one of the "50 most influential people in the NFT art scene" by Fortune magazine, and Singapore's national film director Jack Neo. The event included an exhibition of works by guest artists, a talk session on the future of art, and a presentation of a new collection by Honoka Yoshifuku.
During the talk session, the moderator asked Yoshifuku about the meaning of the Japanese word "emoi," which is often used to introduce her work, to which she replied, "A feeling or emotion that suddenly takes you somewhere other than here and leaves you speechless. Afterwards, Gyoten, who was introduced as a model for Yosifuku's new collection, greeted the packed audience by saying "Wo ai Singapore (I love Singapore)" in Chinese, the language she is currently studying, and then expressed her gratitude for the invitation to the event, which was greeted with loud applause.
Asian art collectors showed great interest in Yosifuku's work, and the artwork and new apparel exhibited at the event sold out quickly. Nicole Buffett commented on Yosifuku's work, "I felt her style was like a meeting of my favorite Roy Lichtenstein and Japanese sensibilities. I hope we can collaborate someday." The visitors commented, "I feel a uniquely Japanese sensibility in Honoka's artwork," "There is a sense of the world of Japanese city pop that is popular in Southeast Asia," and "I like the intersection of Japanese anime culture and pop art.
