13th April – May 11th
CELINE has officially joined the France Pavilion at the Osaka-Kansai World Expo 2025 with a cultural installation that celebrates French craftsmanship and Japanese tradition, inaugurating the pavilion’s temporary exhibition space, as part of the LVMH Group, a gold partner of the event.
Alongside fellow LVMH Maisons Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chaumet, and Moët Hennessy, CELINE has been named a French ambassador for the expo’s central theme, A hymn to Love, with the France Pavilion designed by Thomas Coldefy in collaboration with CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, standing at the entrance to the Expo grounds that positions LVMH as an integral part of national identity.
Central to CELINE’s contribution is CELINE MAKI-E, an immersive exhibition that explores the intersection of heritage, craftsmanship and cultural exchange. Here, the brand draws inspiration from traditional Japanese lacquerware, cue the refined Maki-e technique, as the installation artistically reinterprets CELINE’s infamous Triomphe logo, resulting is a creative exchange between Japanese artisans and CELINE’s storied design narrative.
Highlights of the installation include Urushi lacquered artworks by renowned collective Hikoju Makie, who are known for incorporating contemporary senses and humour into their work, and these are displayed alongside specially designed CELINE Classique Triomphe bags, crafted by the brand’s ateliers in Italy exclusively for the installation.
For a fully immersive experience, two films have been created by visual artist Soshi Nakamura, showcasing the meticulous craftsmanship of both Japanese lacquer artists and CELINE’s leatherworkers. In a dedicated room, Nakamura also presents Ten Landscapes of Dreams, a dreamlike visual piece where the Triomphe emblem drifts abstract landscapes, projected on a mirrored wall opposite a huge LED screen, to double down on CELINE’s longstanding bond with Japan that dates back to its first store opening in Tokyo, in 1970.
Through this celebration of cultures, CELINE not only marks its 55-year presence in Japan but also reaffirms its dedication to artistry and heritage that continues to define the Maison’s legacy.
