Japanese Contemporary Design
6 May 2022 - 30 Jul 2023
10:00-17:00
Exhibition Gallery 3, Level 1
Free
From striking statement jewellery to prints and porcelain vases, this display considers how Japanese contemporary makers have combined innovative and traditional art, craft and design elements over the past five decades.
A more diverse range of makers have emerged in Japan in recent years, with highly skilled women breaking into historically male-dominated artistic disciplines. This follows a move away from the traditional apprenticeship-based system and the long-established custom of the eldest son taking over from his father. Japanese Contemporary Design will include an equal number of works by female and male makers, shining a light on some remarkable artisans who have previously been overlooked.
Opaque blown glass vase with calligraphy reading Heiwa (Peace), Japan, 2001. © Mitsushima Kazuko
Jewellery set comprising a brooch, a bangle and a ring, Japan, 1997. © Sato Yoko
Silver bowl hallmarked, London, 2006. © Suzuki Hiroshi
Rigid choker entitled Wound Around, Japan, 2014. © Taguchi Fumiki
The star object is Hitomi Hosono's A Large Pine Tree Pool, a sculptural porcelain bowl with complex hand-carving made and acquired in 2019. It is on display for the first time ever. Further highlights include Junko Mori’s intricate New Pinecone Silver Organism, and colourful body adornments by jeweller Suō Emiko’s adapted from metalworking and engraving techniques traditionally used in the making of Japanese sword fittings.
Getting here
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
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Header image: New Pinecone Silver Organism, 2007. © Junko Mori
Detail of A Large Pine Tree Pool, 2019. © Hitomi Hosono
