First Release Artwork Reinterpreting Classic Japanese IP as Contemporary Art Achieves Market Success

Left: Manabu Furuse, ART TEKNIKA. Right: Kosuke Kawamura.

 

On June 4, 2026 (JST), the "ReVIBES Project," a joint venture by Toei Video Co., Ltd. and TANGLE Co., Ltd., announced that two collaborative artworks, the first releases from the project, were successfully bid on at a registration-based auction held with the cooperation of SBI Art Auction Co., Ltd. These artworks are a collaboration between the timeless masterpiece "COBRA" by the late Buichi Terasawa and internationally acclaimed collage artist Kosuke Kawamura.

The day of the auction saw a vibrant atmosphere with many attendees, including media, who enjoyed displays of Buichi Terasawa's collected works and figures, Kosuke Kawamura's artworks, and a talk session featuring project representatives. 

In addition to attendees at the venue, numerous bidders from Japan and overseas participated online. The results indicate high interest and expectations for these artworks, born from the fusion of Japan's leading classic IP and contemporary art.

Various artworks displayed at the venue ⒸBUICHI TERASAWA／ART TEKNIKA , ⒸKOSUKE KAWAMURA	Various artworks displayed at the venue ⒸBUICHI TERASAWA/ART TEKNIKA ⒸReVIBES Project, BUICHI TERASAWA／ART TEKNIKA, KOSUKE KAWAMURA	Media coverage
Talk show	AR experience of the artwork	ⒸBUICHI TERASAWA/ART TEKNIKA Venue-exclusive auction catalog

About the Auctioned Works

Total winning bid amount for all works: 3,500,000 yen

 

◼︎Buichi Terasawa "COBRA" × Kosuke Kawamura 
No.001 COLLAGE (Edition 1/3)
Winning bid amount: 1,400,000 yen

This collage piece incorporates a rich array of characters from "COBRA." The hair portions feature a mirror finish created with metal canvas, resulting in a work whose expression changes depending on the viewing angle.

Supported by SBI Art Auction Inc.

 

◼︎Buichi Terasawa "COBRA" × Kosuke Kawamura
No.002 SHREDDER (Edition 1/3)
Winning bid amount: 2,100,000 yen

This work expresses intentional misalignment through shredder art, with layered printing on aluminum canvas and acrylic board. By suspending the acrylic board, a physical layered structure is added to the two-dimensional representation.

Supported by SBI Art Auction Inc.

 

Artwork Overview

ⒸReVIBES Project，BUICHI TERASAWA/ART TEKNIKA，KOSUKE KAWAMURA

 

Collaboration	Buichi Terasawa's "COBRA" × Kosuke Kawamura
Artwork Title	・Buichi Terasawa "COBRA" × Kosuke Kawamura No.001 COLLAGE (Edition 1/3) ・Buichi Terasawa "COBRA" × Kosuke Kawamura No.002 SHREDDER (Edition 1/3)
Framed Outer Dimensions	・No.001 COLLAGE: Approx. 1,206×938mm ・No.002 SHREDDER: Approx. 1,116×829mm
Number of Pieces	Limited edition of 3 worldwide × 2 types
Finish	Metal canvas print + framing

 

About the ReVIBES Project

The ReVIBES Project aims to reinterpret IP, such as manga, anime, and games, referred to as "timeless masterpieces," through the sensibilities of contemporary artists active both domestically and internationally, and to disseminate these new artworks globally.

As Japanese pop culture gains renewed international appreciation, the ReVIBES Project redefines IP not merely as subjects of revival or nostalgia, but as cultural assets recontextualized within contemporary art. Through new expressions born from the intersection of past and present creativity, the project seeks to connect classic Japanese IP with art markets both at home and abroad.

The success of this auction is a significant achievement, marking the ReVIBES Project's first step in creating value through "IP × contemporary art" in the actual market. Moving forward, the project will continue to reach out to existing fans of IP works, as well as art enthusiasts, collectors, and younger generations unfamiliar with IP, aiming to establish and promote "New Wave Japanese Art" both domestically and internationally.

 

About the First Collaboration

For its first installment, the project realized a collaboration between the highly popular and timeless masterpiece "COBRA" by the late Buichi Terasawa and Kosuke Kawamura, a collage artist active in various fields including art, fashion, music, and advertising.

"COBRA" is an SF action comic by the late Buichi Terasawa, a pioneer of digital drawing, which is now mainstream. Its collected volumes have been translated and published in over a dozen countries, making it a beloved and timeless IP not only in Japan but also worldwide.

Kosuke Kawamura is a collage artist who has worked on numerous projects both domestically and internationally. For this project, he merged the original art data of "COBRA" with his unique style, redefining "COBRA" as contemporary art through two expressions: collage art and shredder art.

 

Future Developments

The ReVIBES Project is currently preparing for its second installment, which will feature new IP × artist collaborations. Going forward, we will select participating artists and target IPs both domestically and internationally. We will also gradually expand opportunities for presenting works and market touchpoints through domestic and international art events, art fairs, gallery exhibitions, auction entries, and sales channels via official e-commerce and overseas distributors.

In addition to collaborations with established artists, we will actively engage with young, emerging artists who will lead the next generation. By combining the fresh sensibilities and expressions of young artists with Japan's proud manga, anime, and game IPs, we aim to reinterpret IP from unprecedented perspectives and create artworks that resonate across generations and borders.

The ReVIBES Project will continue to reinterpret IP as "cultural assets" and connect them to the context of contemporary art and the global market. In doing so, we aim to promote Japanese pop culture, such as manga, anime, and games, as "New Wave Japanese Art" to a new generation of collectors and art enthusiasts both domestically and internationally.