This September, Bulgari unveils its largest ever exhibition in Japan — Bulgari Kaleidos: Colours, Cultures and Crafts — a dazzling exploration of the Maison’s mastery of colour and craftsmanship. Running from 17 September to 15 December 2025 at the National Art Center Tokyo (NACT), the exhibition brings together nearly 350 chromatic masterpieces spanning heritage jewellery, contemporary art, and immersive installations.
The exhibition title, drawn from the Greek kalos (beautiful) and eidos (form), signals a dynamic journey through colour as both language and experience. Bulgari’s creations, from bold cabochon-cut gems to daring gemstone pairings, illustrate how the Roman house transformed colour into an art form — a legacy cemented in the 20th century when the Maison broke away from monochrome traditions in favour of exuberant combinations of sapphires, emeralds, rubies, and once-overlooked stones such as amethyst and turquoise.
Divided into three thematic chapters, the exhibition examines colour through multiple lenses. The Science of Colours highlights the interplay of hues with archival jewels like a citrine bracelet from the 1940s, while Colour Symbolism delves into cultural meaning, with iconic pieces such as the Seven Wonders emerald necklace, once worn by Italian screen legends Monica Vitti and Gina Lollobrigida. Finally, The Power of Light celebrates luminosity and reflection, culminating in a transformative 1969 yellow-gold sautoir, a jewel embodying Bulgari’s kaleidoscopic spirit.
Expanding beyond jewellery, the exhibition invites contemporary female artists Lara Favaretto, Mariko Mori, and Akiko Nakayama to contribute works that reflect on colour’s power to evoke memory, emotion, and transformation. Favaretto’s kinetic brushes, Mori’s mythic installation, and Nakayama’s ephemeral “alive painting” engage in dialogue with Bulgari’s creations, forging a vibrant cross-disciplinary conversation.
The scenography, conceived in collaboration with Japan’s SANAA studio and Italy’s Formafantasma, further emphasises this cultural bridge. Inspired by Roman mosaics and Tokyo’s ginkgo leaf, the design guides visitors through a sensory world where Italian heritage and Japanese refinement converge.
As Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin reflects, “Tokyo, much like Bulgari itself, celebrates the harmony between timeless tradition and bold innovation.” With Bulgari Kaleidos, the Maison honours its enduring relationship with Japan, inviting audiences to experience beauty, colour, and craftsmanship as a universal language.
