Artisan - Beyond Craft
Once you touch a refined craftwork, the memory remains in your hand.
This memory will go beyond cultural differences and borders, leading to the next creation.
We have built a bridge with the hope to connect everyone to this experience.
A journey of artisans. It starts here, in Singapore.
Concept
"Artisan - Beyond Craft” is an exhibition that offers a comprehensive view of the Japanese craft industry. Born of “KOGEI STANDARD”, a website created by HULS, this exhibition will showcase craft items and photographs curated from the website. The main feature of our very first exhibition held in Singapore will be the collaboration between Singapore designers and Japanese craft manufacturers.
Visitors will be able to handle the products on display to better understand and appreciate the design and crafts elements. “Artisan - Beyond Craft” aims to serve as a case study of the Japanese craft industry for Singapore. Together with the collaboration showcase, this exhibition shows the possibilities of how Singapore designers and businesses are able to work with Japanese manufacturers and also be a catalyst for future collaboration between the two countries.




Miyama
Ceramic
In 1977, Miyama Co., Ltd. was established in Mizunami area in Gifu prefecture where manufacturers of ceramic tableware for export are concentrated. The advanced technique of slip casting that Miyama developed over decades makes it possible to create thin and strong ceramic products. They are producing a wide range of tableware for professional-use as well as for daily use.




Soekyu Seitosho
Porcelain
Soekyu Seitosho Co., Ltd. was established in Yoshida, Ureshino city of Saga prefecture in 1953 as one of the 14 potteries that originally started production of ceramics called “Hizen-Yoshida ware”. The third-generation potters, Hisahiro Soejima and his wife Michiko work together to produce tableware for daily use. Their study on blue pigment led to the creation of the 5 tones of blue color and the “Soekyu GOSU” series.




Kokura Creation / SHIMA-SHIMA
Textile
Kokura Creation Inc. was established in 1996 in Kokura of Kitakyushu city and the founder of the company, Hideko Watanabe launched an original textile brand “SHIMA-SHIMA” in 2007. Her older sister, fabric and dye artist, Noriko Tsuiki supervises the textile designs. The textile of “SHIMA-SHIMA” features a 3 dimensional gradation of vertical stripes woven by using the technique of traditional Kokura-ori which was developed in the region.



DAIKURA
Stoneware
DAIKURA is a brand of Bizen ware produced by the potters, Hidetoshi Ogawa and his second son, Kouzou. Since the construction of their kiln in Bizen city of Okayama prefecture in 1972, the Ogawa family has been maintaining the traditional and natural ways of making the stoneware by hand all the way to kiln baking, and also with the advantage of good quality clay from the Bizen area.




Riso Porcelain
Ceramic
Riso Porcelain Ltd. was established in Arita area of Saga prefecture in 1957. As the fourth-generation of the manufacture of Arita ware, Shinji Terauchi studied Sometsuke (underglaze blue) thoroughly and created his own technique. While producing a wide range of tableware, Riso Porcelain is also committed to collaborations with famous restaurants and chefs to discover new relationship between porcelain and food.


Omiya / SANJIKU
Textile
Omiya Co., Ltd., a wholesale company of a wide range of Japanese-style apparels, focusing on kimono, was established in Kyoto in 1951. The company’s original silk textile brand SANJIKU which was launched in 2013, uses the special technique of Sanjiku-Kumiori (triaxial woven fabric) which was derived from a technique of braided cords passed down from over a thousand years ago in Kyoto. They are actively trying new approaches to promote the textile such as collaboration with international luxury brands.



Maruyoshi Kosaka
Lacquerware
Founded in 1945 in the Kiso area of Nagano prefecture, Maruyoshi Kosaka Co., Ltd. is known as the pioneer of urushi-glass. Although the combination of lacquer and glass was difficult, they challenged themselves to achieve it for the sake of the future of Kiso lacquerware. And they launched a new urushi-glassware brand, “Hyakushiki” in 2013. This series of tableware inspired by the kaleidoscope offers an innovative design, which has updated the image of lacquerware.



Gato Mikio
Lacquerware
Gato Mikio Co., Ltd. was founded in 1908 in Yamanaka Onsen, a town in Ishikawa prefecture and the company is now specializing in the sales and planning of lacquerware. Masayuki Gato, the forth-generation president is making a strong effort in product planning by putting emphasis on design and also values on the traditional techniques inherited in Yamanaka such as a lacquering technique that maintains the appearance of woodgrain and wood curving techniques for making decorative patterns.

Brilliance of Heritage
Peranakan Striped Textile
"Brilliance of Heritage" is a floral coloured Peranakan-striped textile. This Kokura-ori textile is jointly developed by "SHIMA-SHIMA" and HULS. Under the supervision of Noriko Tsuiki, a fabric and dye artist of Kokura-ori, both companies had worked together to research and conduct careful verification on the design and colours. The overlapping rhythm of the beautiful stripes produced by Kokura-ori in Japan and the image of the floral motif of Peranakan which symbolizes the culture of Singapore as well as the Malay peninsula created this vibrant fabric which exudes an international and cosmopolitan flavour.

Cloud
Espresso Cup & Saucer
“Cloud” is a white porcelain espresso cup and saucer inspired by the closeness of the clouds and skies over Singapore.
It is designed by a Singaporean designer, Casey Chen and manufactured by Miyama, a Japanese ceramic company located in Gifu prefecture which is renowned for their Mino ware.
“Crossing Borders”
National Design Centre Auditorium (2F)
11 March 11:30 AM
Please RSVP in advance for the talk HERE.
*You will be directed to Google forms.

Choon Yeow Lim
HULS Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.Choon Yeow Lim is a Singaporean interior designer and graduated from Eastern Michigan University. He is also supporting the global business of Japanese crafts under HULS. Having resided in U.S.A., Malaysia and Singapore, his strong international background, enables him to provide a suitable business solution for Japanese crafts manufactures.

Hideko Watanabe
Managing Director of Kokura CreationHideko Watanabe is the founder and CEO of Kokura Creation Inc. Having been attracted to the artistic world of textile, she made a career switch from a jazz pianist to the industry. Subsequently, she launched “SHIMA-SHIMA" a brand of Kokura-ori under the influence of her elder sister, Noriko Tsuiki who is a fabric and dye artist. Her passion for quality and beauty has brought the brand worldwide recognition for its stripes.

Shuichi Yokoe
Business AdvisorShuichi Yokoe is a crafts enthusiast who lives in the Tokyo area. He started his career as buyer of imported furniture and women's wear after joining Odakyu department store where he had worked for 35 years. He contributed to their business expansion overseas and had spent some time in France. Now retired, he continues to pursue and enjoy his own lifestyle surrounded by crafts from Japan and other countries.
Information
Schedule
8 - 14 March 2017 11:00 - 20:00
*10 March 11:00-15:00 (Closed from 16:00 for private event)
Venue / Address
Visual Arts Centre
10 Penang Road, #01-02 Dhoby Ghaut Green, Singapore 238469
GET DIRECTION
Entrance fee
Free
Messages from organizers
Get in touch
If you have any questions about our exhibition, please feel free to contact us.
HULS ASIA PACIFIC PTE. LTD.
101 Thomson Road
#22-05 United Square
Singapore, 307591
Email : info@artisanbeyondcraft.com
Phone : +65-6225-6331