Cover Japanese artist Verdy is no stranger to music festivals (Photo: Instagram/@verdy)
Japanese artist Verdy is no stranger to music festivals (Photo: Instagram/@verdy)
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The Japanese creative and former artist-in-residence at Coachella will lead the American pop culture festival, which will take place in Hong Kong from March 22 to 24
Verdy, known for directing K-pop sensation Blackpink’s Born Pink World Tour, is set to be the artistic director for this year’s ComplexCon, a two-day festival that brings together pop culture, music, art, food, sports, innovation and activism since it was founded in Los Angeles in 2016. This time, it’s coming to Hong Kong and will run at AsiaWorld Expo from March 22 to 24, 2024, coinciding with the city’s arts week, during which Art Basel and Art Central will also take place.
The 36-year-old Osaka-born, Tokyo-based graphic designer, who forged a successful career with street fashion brands Girls Don’t Cry and Wasted Youth, is no stranger to music festivals. As well as being the artist-in-residence for California’s famous Coachella music festival last year, he was also the host of ComplexCon in Long Beach, California in 2022.
The festival will announce the artist line-up later this month. Supported by the Hong Kong government’s Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund and the Hong Kong Tourism Board, it’s expected to bring established international musicians to the city. Similar to previous editions in the US, the Hong Kong edition will feature concerts, exhibitions, panel talks, F&B booths and merchandise outlets.
Commenting on his new role in the Hong Kong edition, Verdy says in a press statement, “I am excited to be back in Hong Kong to offer my creativity to the first ComplexCon in the city. My main focus is to bring the Asian community together and be the bridge between the old and the new generations.”
In the past, the likes of Grammy-winning American rapper Kid Cudi and Japanese DJ Nigö have participated in the event. Previous ComplexCon editions have also seen collaborations with American record producer and songwriter Pharrell Williams and Japanese artist Takashi Murakami.
Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
