Heartware Store & Gallery features its latest exhibition, Choibusu Shopping Arcade, where you can check out handmade keychains and quirky merchandise.
If you’re on the hunt for a slice of whimsy in our Little Red Dot, look no further than Heartware Store & Gallery in Joo Chiat. Founded by independent creative agency Kinetic Singapore, this part design store, part gallery hosts art exhibitions in Singapore that dial up the quirkiness to 1,000. And many people still insist Singapore is boring… The latest exhibition to land at Heartware Store & Gallery is Choibusu Shopping Arcade, running from 7 August to 13 September 2026. Here’s what you can expect.
Choibusu Shopping Arcade at Heartware Store & Gallery: Details at a glance
Best for: Quirky art lovers, Japanese culture fans, and serious keychain collectors
When: Daily, 12pm to 7pm (exhibition runs from 7 August to 13 September 2026)
How much: From $20
Address: Heartware Store & Gallery, 350B Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427598
Who is Choibusu?
Choibusu is Japan’s cult keychain artist, known for her charmingly wonky handmade trinkets. The name loosely translates to “a little ugly”, a fitting description for the deliberately strange yet lovable characters that have become her signature designs.
But Choibusu’s story goes back further than the keychains themselves. From a young age, the artist was fascinated with making mud balls, kneading and shaping them by hand. This childhood obsession eventually evolved into working with clay, culminating in the distinctive objects that form Choibusu.
The project officially began in 2016, with a self-made keychain gachapon machine installed at Whoopi Goldburger in Shibuya. From that small beginning, Choibusu has grown into a wide-ranging art practice, spanning collaborations with major food manufacturers and artists, solo exhibitions, and pop-up stores across Japan.
Her works have also travelled internationally, with keychains exhibited and sold in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Indonesia… and now, Singapore.
What is Choibusu Shopping Arcade?
Choibusu Shopping Arcade is the artist’s first solo exhibition in our Little Red Dot. Inspired by shotengai (Japan’s lively neighbourhood shopping streets), the exhibition transforms Heartware Store & Gallery into a whimsical shopping arcade of its own.
Visitors can check out 500 handmade keychains, each one delightfully odd – the kind you never knew you needed until you saw them. The collection is divided into four sections, featuring grumpy uncles and chefs, snails and various food items, and even keychains that glow in the dark!
If you’re feeling lucky, have a go at the Past Life Fortune Machine. Think the paper fortunes drawn at temples and shrines across Japan, but with the signature Choibusu twist. Here, hidden keychains are attached to dangling strings, and all you have to do is choose one to see what you might have been in a past life.
Anything else you can spot here?
It’s not just keychains you can get at Choibusu Shopping Arcade. This exhibition marks the launch of the rolling sushi blind boxes, limited to 100 pieces. Five designs are up for grabs – we’ve got our eye on the golden wasabi sushi.
Then, there are the vintage bags, all hand-painted by Choibusu and featuring keychain holders to match the offbeat designs. There are so many to choose from! We’re torn between the sling bag with the pigeon keychain and the small carry-on featuring the tooth and plier designs.
Oh, be sure to check out the exclusive merchandise created around the way people overseas perceive Japan. The result: items with expressions and translations that might seem off to the Japanese. But in true Choibusu fashion, they’re displayed and available for everyone to purchase. These include an onigiri sling bag, magnets and hooks, foldable fans, and even a clock made with a ramen bowl!
Is Choibusu Shopping Arcade worth visiting?
If you like your art a little weird and your souvenirs a little unexpected, this exhibition is a must-visit. Choibusu Shopping Arcade feels less like a conventional gallery visit and more like stepping into the artist’s weird and wacky world. You’ll probably arrive with no intention of buying a keychain and leave wondering how many keychains one person really needs.
With the exhibition running till 13 September 2026, you have plenty of time to pop by Joo Chiat, wander through the arcade, and find your little slice of Choibusu oddness. And if you don’t find anything you like, you can go over to the other side of Heartware Store & Gallery, where you can shop works from past exhibitions that you might have missed out on.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of space is Heartware Store & Gallery?
Founded by the team behind creative agency Kinetic Singapore, Heartware is an independent, 750-sq-ft art space and lifestyle shop. It showcases design-led products, indie art prints, ceramics, and quirky vintage collectibles, with a philosophy that anything featured must "move the heart".
Is there an entry fee?
No. Admission to Heartware Store & Gallery and the exhibition is completely free of charge.
Who is Choibusu?
Choibusu is a cult-favorite Japanese artist known for her quirky, imperfect, and hand-crafted keychains, charms, and redesigned vintage goods. Her work focuses on finding joy in quirky everyday characters and nostalgic Japanese retro aesthetics.
What’s the theme of the Choibusu Shopping Arcade?
The space has been redesigned to look and feel like a vintage Japanese Shotengai (shopping arcade). Instead of traditional gallery walls, items are displayed in retro shopfront setups.
