Uniqlo Birmingham Bullring

UNIQLO Birmingham Bullring
– The Spirit of Birmingham

2025 | Mural & Window Installation, T-shirt Graphic & Embroidery Motif Designs | UNIQLO Birmingham (Bullring)

PROJECT BACKGROUND

UNIQLO Store Featured Mural & Art Concept:
The Spirit of Birmingham

The new UNIQLO Birmingham store at Bullring features an exclusive mural installation “The Spirit of Birmingham” which is a three-storey wall art inspired by Japanese folklore. Created by artists UUendy Lau and Hinz Pak, the immersive UNIQLO Birmingham art concept transforms the store into a cultural celebration. The project connects Japan’s artistic heritage with Birmingham’s vibrant creative energy through the ancient tale of Hyakki Yagyō (百鬼夜行; the Night Parade of One Hundred Spirits). We are thrilled to share this collaboration with UNIQLO Birmingham, bringing together two cultures through art, imagination and storytelling.

ART CONCEPT

What is Hyakki Yagyō (百鬼夜行)? The Story Behind the Design

The Spirit of Birmingham draws inspiration from Hyakki Yagyō (百鬼夜行), which translates to “the Night Parade of One Hundred Spirits.” This ancient Japanese folklore tells of a magical night when spirits of animals and everyday objects come alive. They wander the streets in a mystical procession, celebrating the Japanese belief that a spirit lives in all things.

Over centuries, Japanese artists have reimagined this tale in playful and joyful ways, including Itaya Keii Hironaga’s Edo period handscroll (circa 1800) . Each generation reinterprets the folklore for its time. We saw a beautiful parallel between this evolving tradition and Birmingham’s own character: its mix of people, cultures, and boundless creativity.

Art concept inspiration:
Hyakki yagyo by Itaya Kei-i Hironaga | 1800 (c.) | Image credit © The Trustees of the British Museum

Project Visual:
The Spirit of Birmingham | 2025 | For UNIQLO Birmingham Bullring

Reimagining Folklore for Birmingham’s Streets

In our UNIQLO Birmingham store art concept, we reinterpreted the traditional “night parade” into a joyful city procession. Instead of ancient spirits, Birmingham’s architecture, music and local icons come alive alongside its residents.

Featured Birmingham elements include:
• the iconic bronze bull “The Guardian”, Rotunda, various signature architectures, taxi and canal boat,
• Jewellery Quarter’s characteristic seagulls (and cats we love :),
• Birmingham’s legendary heavy metal music heritage,
• the city’s industrial past and creative present,
• diverse communities that make Birmingham unique, and more!

MURAL & WINDOW INSTALLATION

The Three-Floor Mural Experience at UNIQLO Birmingham

The Spirit of Birmingham project spans three floors of the UNIQLO Birmingham store, creating a continuous art narrative that guides visitors through the space.

Ground Floor | Window Displays & Welcome: The journey begins with dynamic window displays featuring the “spirits” of Birmingham in motion. These eye-catching graphics introduce visitors to the concept and invite them into the storytelling experience.

Connected Floor Graphics: A three-storey mural connects each floor in one seamless art narrative. As customers move through the store, they discover new characters and scenes. The design creates visual flow while celebrating both Japanese tradition and Birmingham’s contemporary culture.

T-SHIRT & EMBROIDERY MOTIF DESIGN

As part of The Spirit of Birmingham project with UNIQLO, we created several limited-edition UTme! T-shirt designs and embroidery motifs. UTme! is UNIQLO’s in-store customisation service that allows customers to create their own one-of-a-kind wearable art by combining graphics and text.

T-shirt Designs:
• Celebrating Urban Life & Diversity: A lively scene featuring a vibrant mix of people, local animals (even a seagull sharing a slice of pizza!), and familiar street elements coming together in a joyful parade.
• Music: A playful tribute to Birmingham’s legendary heavy metal heritage, with musicians rocking out on the city’s signature canal boats.
• Food: A celebration of the city’s multicultural flavours, from Balti dishes to delicious dim sum.

Embroidery Motifs:
• The iconic bull enjoying the company of a little flower
• A raised electric guitar flashing the “sign of the horns”
• A mischievous seagull picking up a Balti dish for its midnight snack
• A canal boat sailing under a rainbow after a gentle shower

Each element in this collection celebrates what makes Birmingham unique, from its creativity and culture to the everyday spirit of the city, forming an artistic homage to Brum.

LIMITED-EDITION MERCHANDISE

Limited Edition The Spirit of Birmingham souvenir items

During the opening period, UNIQLO Birmingham offers exclusive merchandise. We designed limited-edition sticker designs featuring parade characters and collectible keychains with Birmingham spirit designs. These items are available during the opening period in a special goodie bags.

A Cultural Bridge Between Japan and the UK

The Spirit of Birmingham is more than a store decoration, it’s a cultural dialogue. The project blends Japanese artistic tradition with Birmingham’s urban imagination, creating something entirely new.

Through this reinterpretation of Hyakki Yagyō, ancient folklore becomes a modern celebration of community and creativity. The concept echoes the inclusive values shared by both UNIQLO and Birmingham itself, where diversity strengthens identity. This fusion respects both cultures while creating fresh artistic territory. It shows how traditional stories can evolve to reflect contemporary experiences and new locations.

ARTIST TEAM

UUendy Lau (www.uuendylau.com) and Hinz Pak (www.hinzandkunz.com) are the creative duo behind this cultural bridge between Japan and the UK. They specialise in illustration, storytelling and cultural interpretation through visual design.

Their approach blends traditional folklore with modern urban aesthetics. For this project, they spent time researching both Hyakki Yagyō traditions and Birmingham’s unique identity, ensuring authentic representation of both cultures.