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135 Bundall Rd, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217, Australia
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Overview
HAPPY BIRTHDAY 2U2
When did you last receive a hand-drawn birthday card - or create one for someone else?
Born from a treasured family tradition of gifting hand-drawn birthday cards, this installation by Hikoko Ito invites you to savour the joy of receiving one from a stranger who shares your birthdate - your “birthday twin” - and the delight of giving one in return.
366 Birthday Mailboxes, one for each day of the year, are arranged in deliberate disarray. Each bears a “Happy Motif,” reimagined from the Chinese character『樂』- symbolising happiness - by Hikoko and her late father, Sun Chan, celebrating its myriad expressions.
Begin at The Calendar Wall: find the “Happy Motif” for your birthdate. Then, seek your matching Birthday Mailbox. Within, a card from your unseen birthday twin quietly awaits.
The first batch of cards was created by local students and HOTA’s patrons - followed by offerings from visitors like you. Each one carries warmth and sincerity, sharing good wishes across all ages, cultures, and backgrounds.
In the spirit of reciprocity, you are invited to craft a card for another birthday twin, continuing this chain of special connection. Each blank card features an artwork from HOTA’s collection to inspire your creation - you might even spot the original in the Gallery.
Every motif matched, every card exchanged whispers: we are here - together. Through shared birthdates and strokes of ink and pigment, we transcend difference, embrace our collective humanity, and pass kindness forward - one heartfelt card at a time.
Image Credit: Hikoko Ito, HB2U2 2025, Art Gallery of New South Wales. Image courtesy AGNSW.
Hikoko Ito
Japan/Hong Kong,
Happy Birthday 2U2 2025
mixed media installation; powder-coated steel mailboxes
with die-cut acrylic panels, printed vinyl wall design
Collection of the artist
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
Experience Gold Coast acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we are situated, the Kombumerri families of the Yugambeh Language Region.
We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging, and recognise their continuing connections to the lands, waters and their extended communities throughout Southeast Queensland.