London-based artist and designer, Henry Chebaane, is behind the brand identity for KOJAWAN – creating what he dubs a “genuinely inauthentic” identity for the experiential space.
Having long been a collector of pop art himself, and a frequent traveller to the Far East, Henry has layered the interiors of KOJAWAN into a retro-futuristic cosmopolitan stage, mixing European design vernaculars with the bold graphic worlds of Korea, Japan and Taiwan.
The bar and dining space is conceived as a deliberate hybrid of genres, a simultaneous overlap of multiple periods, evoking a light science fiction film set juxtaposed with a luminous urban art gallery. “Kubrick’s 2001 – a space odyssey” meets “Warhol’s Silver Factory” while also hinting at seminal literature works from the likes of Philip K.Dick and Brian W. Aldiss, movies such as “Alien” and cult Japanese anime like “Ghost in the Shell”.
To create an uplifting, sophisticated yet strong visual experience, the overall colour palette is deliberately muted, using a dual tone scheme rich in light, shadow and texture. Carpeting in graphite hues with a subtle 3D digital pattern, combine with soft titanium metallic walls and white ceilings covered with intricate space-age panels and pipeworks.
The comfortable seating includes a variety of booths, swivel stools and pod chairs in tones of deep blue, warm grey and shimmering black, upholstered in innovative polymer fabrics with a 3D cell-structure developed initially for the high-tech sportswear and fashion industries.
The multi-sensory creative vibe of KOJAWAN is extended throughout the space with an installation of over 50 pop art pieces curated by Henry Chebaane, including some of his own works (solo and collaborations) with evocative names such as “genius loci”, “resident alien”, “ichiban rebel”.
Henry has also creative an array of other experientiak features for KOJAWAN, including a sculptural Laurent Perrier champagne bar, a kinetic Kirin beer bar, customised airline trolleys serving space-age cocktails, and aluminium menus with manga-style typography.
