Exhibition • Event Report

On November 17 and 18, 2023, the event “Go Forward 2023” was organized by “NEXTRAD,” a team of 13 kiln owners from Imari and Arita in Saga Prefecture working to ensure a sustainable future for the Arita ware industry. The event aimed to raise awareness about the craftsmanship of Arita ware and the current situation and challenges faced by the industry. It featured exhibitio...

From November 18 to 26, 2023, ceramic artist Hideki Yanashita held an exhibition of his works at Japanese pottery gallery TOBETOBEKUSA in Hatchobori, Chuo-ku, Tokyo. This marks the sixth time that Hideki has held a solo exhibition at the gallery, and exactly one year since the last one there.After graduating from Kuwasawa Design School in Tokyo, Hideki trained in Shigaraki and built an ana-gama ki...

The long-awaited solo exhibition of ceramic artist Masahiro Sakakura was held at Kakiden Gallery in Shinjuku, Tokyo, three years after his first solo exhibition in 2020. Masahiro is the heir to the historic pottery company “Sakakura Shinbei-gama Kiln” in Nagato, Yamaguchi Prefecture. While respecting the tradition of the Fukawa-Hagi style and earnestly engaging with the materials, he f...

From June 28 to July 3 in 2023, the third solo exhibition by Ikuko Ogawa was held at Mitsukoshi Main Store in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, marking a return after four years. Ikuko seamlessly blends the distinctive features of Edo and Satsuma styles of kiriko faceted glasswork, creating exquisite glass artworks. The exhibition showcased a total of 160 pieces, ranging from small obidome (kimono sash clips) an...

An exhibition of works by ceramic artist Hitoshi Morimoto from Bizen, Okayama Prefecture, was held at SORA Gallery in Himonya, Tokyo. This was Hitoshi’s second exhibition at SORA in three years, and his first solo show there following a joint exhibition earlier. Approximately 300 pieces were showcased, including tableware, sake ware, tea ware, and flower vases. The flower vases were adorned with b...

Japan Creative Centre in Singapore, part of the Japan Embassy, aims to introduce Japanese culture to its host country. From January 31 to February 4, 2023, it featured “POST-WABI,” an exhibition of around thirty ceramic works by artists Yukiharu Furuno and Takanao Todo. Their works provided a new perspective on the widely known traditional Japanese aesthetic of “Wabi.”

In 1983, textile artist Noriko Tsuiki came across a piece of scrap cloth in a small antique store in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture. It was a Kokura-ori children’s hakama fabric with beautiful stripes that gave it a three-dimensional feel. After this fateful encounter, she began to work to revive  Kokura-ori, which had been out of production since the early Showa period (1926-1989), finally ...

We want Arita’s craftsmanship to be more widely known. “Go Forward 2022 – The Future of ‘14P’ Related to Porcelain Manufacturing,” an exhibition and hands-on event driven by this desire of a group of people in the industry who go by the name “14P” to introduce this region where porcelain is made, was held from November 3 to 5, 2022.NEXTRAD, the organizer of this event, is a team of fou...

The Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition is an open competition dedicated to the protection and nurturing of Japan’s outstanding traditional crafts. The exhibition features works by numerous artisans from all over Japan, showcasing the best of their skills in friendly competition and bringing together the techniques and beauty of Japanese craftsmanship. The 69th edition of the exhibition was h...

SHAPE & DECORATION Vol. 3, a joint exhibition by glass artists Hideaki Kakurai and Haruya Hiroshima, was held at Gallery Aizuya in Koishikawa, Tokyo, from June 25 to July 3, 2022. The theme of this exhibition was “Images of daily life created from objects.” When people are attracted to or pick up an object, they may be envisioning an image of their life with that object. Based on this hy...

From March 26 to March 30, 2022, a solo exhibition by Hiroyumi Suzuki, a ceramic artist from Iga, Mie Prefecture, was held at the Gallery Hiirono in Eifuku, Tokyo. Gallery Hiirono is a long-established gallery that has been showcasing and selling ceramics made by contemporary artisans for more than 20 years. Since 2011, Hiroyumi has held a solo exhibition there every year. This year’s exhibi...

“Sustainability and development” are becoming major keywords for traditional crafts these days. It is noteworthy that, in addition to the high level of technical skills passed down from generation to generation, some artisans have begun to take on the challenge of developing a variety of new styles that will be carried on by the next generation, such as seeking styles that fit modern lifesty...