Photo: Osakabe Nobuto

Japanese crafts have built a world-class craft culture, honed through delicate handwork and a unique aesthetic sense nurtured over a long history. In today's world, where craftsmanship is in what could be called a "crisis," we must not only nostalgically reminisce about the past, but also rediscover the inherent richness of handicrafts and their value as human endeavors, and find new roles for them in society. This exhibition features four people who continue to pursue innovative practices in the world of dyeing and weaving, as makers, communicators, and sellers, and reexamine the essence of tradition through their words and works. We hope to explore new possibilities and create a forum for visitors to consider how dyeing and weaving will relate to society and what kind of future it can envision.

Date and time: Friday, September 26th - Tuesday, October 21st, 12:00-17:30, closed Wednesdays and Thursdays
Venue: Atelier Shimura Gallery & School, Setagaya, Tokyo
6-17-7 Soshigaya, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo

<Gallery exhibition contents>
Maito Design Works Plant-dyed products ( stoles, clothing, etc.)

<Exhibition-related Event Relay Talk>
We will be inviting four guests who are leaders in the contemporary dyeing and weaving world to hold a relay talk series of three sessions, each of which will discuss a theme set from their own perspective.

First session: Saturday, September 27th, 16:30- Keita Senji (owner of Ginza Motoji) x Shinya Yanagi (dyeing and weaving artist) x Shoji Shimura

Keita Motoji

Born in 1984. President and CEO of Ginza Motoji. Curator. Studied fashion at a university in London, joined the company in 2009, and has served as president since 2022. Based on the philosophy of "making kimono part of your wardrobe," he collaborates with kimono producers and artists to create 100% Japanese kimono and raise awareness for the next generation. In 2022, he founded the HIRAKI project, which has held special exhibitions such as "Cloth in the Mud" and "Thinking about Earth," which explore the mud dyeing of Oshima Tsumugi. He innovates tradition and opens up the future of kimono culture to the world.
Ginza Motoji website: https://www.motoji.co.jp/

Shinya Yanagi

Born in Tokyo in 1987, Yanagi is the son of Yoshihiro Yanagi, the nephew of Muneyoshi Yanagi, known as the father of the Mingei movement, and Takashi Yanagi. After graduating from a vocational school for interior design, he worked for an architectural firm before joining Yanagi Dyeing and Weaving Studio, run by Takashi, the second generation of the studio, and embarking on the path of dyeing and weaving. Two years after joining, he produced his first work under his own name, which was exhibited and selected for the Japan Folk Crafts Museum Exhibition. In 2019, he received the Japan Folk Crafts Museum Exhibition Encouragement Award, and went independent in 2021. He describes folk craft as "the energy of handcrafted work," and while inheriting the aesthetic sense, commitment to thread, and dyeing and weaving techniques that are at the core of the Yanagi family's craftsmanship, he creates works that utilize new sensibilities.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shinya_yanagi/

Second session: Saturday, October 4th, 16:30~ Takasuka Ikara (artist) x Shimura Shoji

Katsura Takasuka

Born in Tokyo in 1986, he currently lives in Hachioji. Since his student days, he has been creating works based on the theme "starting from the earth and returning to the earth." He has an interest in primitive textiles and traditional techniques from all over Japan, and creates works using fibers such as kozo, hemp, ramie, and banana, as well as natural dyes and soil. In recent years, he has presented works that reexamine the relationship between soil, plants, and people, such as in the "Kodo Code - Amami" exhibition. He works on the inheritance and reinterpretation of culture and techniques from a cultural anthropological perspective, using mud dyeing and weaving culture and local materials as his subject matter. He has also directed numerous exhibitions and local projects, including "Hata-mark of Hataorimachi," "Repiyan Ribbon," "Hataori Studies," and "FUJI TEXTILE WEEK."
HP: https://katsura-takasuka.com/

Third session: Sunday, October 12th, 16:30~ Maito Komuro (dyer, representative of Might Design Works Co., Ltd.) x Masashi Shimura

Maito Komuro

Dyeing artist and CEO of MAITO Design Works, Inc. Born in 1983 to the Yamaya family, a Tango Chirimen weaver with a history dating back to the Edo period. As a child, he moved to Akizuki, Asakura City, Fukuoka Prefecture, where he encountered plant dyeing at his father's plant dyeing studio (Kobo Yumezaiku). He graduated from the Department of Dyeing and Textiles, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts. While studying traditional techniques, he explored new technical expressions, such as plant dyeing leather. In 2008, he launched his own plant dyeing brand, "MAITO/Maito." In 2010, he founded MAITO Design Works, Inc. In 2012, he moved his production base to Kuramae, Taito Ward, Tokyo. Currently, as the "Maito Plant Dyeing Research Institute," he conducts research on plant dyeing, produces original products, collaborates with and directs various manufacturers and brands, and holds plant dyeing workshops, striving to promote traditional Japanese culture through plant dyeing. His books include "Maito Design Works' Plant Dyeing at Home" (Nitto Shoin Publishing).
Website: https://maitokomuro.com/

Venue: Atelier Shimura Gallery & School, Setagaya, Tokyo
Number of participants: 10 per session
Participation fee: Free

Click here to apply for the first session on Saturday, September 27th
Click here to apply for the second session on Saturday, October 4th
Click here to apply for the third session on Sunday, October 12th

*The relay talk will be streamed on video at a later date.
Click here for the talk video     

Inquiries: Tel: 03-6411-1215 Email: gallery@ateliershimura.co.jp