From August 23rd to September 27th, the gallery "EYE OF GYRE" within the "GYRE" building in Omotesando, Tokyo, will host an exhibition focusing on three young contemporary artists: "Japanese Kogei | Future Forward: Craft Futurism - Bridge Art and Craft." The exhibition, themed "Connecting Crafts and Contemporary Art," is curated by art critic Yuji Akimoto, director of the University Art Museum at Tokyo University of the Arts, and features three young contemporary artists—Takuro Kuwata, Hiroshi Kitani, and Masayasu Mitsuke—who are known for their works using traditional techniques such as ceramics and metalwork. The exhibition explores the state of "crafts" as they expand contemporary art and their future possibilities. Takuro Kuwata, whose studio is located in Toki City, Gifu Prefecture, was born in Hiroshima Prefecture in 1981. After graduating from the Kyoto Saga University of Arts Junior College in 2001, he studied under ceramic artist Susumu Zaima. His colorful and original tea bowls and large-scale sculptures, crafted using traditional ceramic techniques, are housed in collections including the Palm Springs Art Museum, the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, and the University of Michigan Museum of Art. Born in Nara Prefecture in 1988, Kitani Hiroshi's work focuses on extracting and reconsidering concepts such as "technology" and "function" from the perspective of craftsmanship. He symbolically captures tools such as hoes and spades, traditionally used in Japanese farming, and reinterprets them from his own unique perspective. Mitsuke Masayasu, a craftsman based in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture, creates works characterized by meticulous line drawings created using the traditional akae overglaze technique. The painterly images created by these lines and abstract patterns that appear to be computer-generated are contemporary works never before seen in akae.
In addition to exhibiting their representative works, a symposium featuring the three artists will be held on August 22, the day before the opening, from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM. The speaker will be fashion journalist Yoshiko Ikoma, and the moderator will be Yuji Akimoto.
[Exhibition Information]
"Japanese Kogei | Future Forward Craft Futurism - Bridge Art and Craft"
Dates: August 23rd - September 27th
Venue: EYE OF GYRE
Address: GYRE 3F, 5-10-1 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Time: 11:00 - 20:00
*Advance registration required for the symposium (Inquiries: Noetica Inc. / info@noetica.co.jp)
