Press Releases

1. From Tuesday, October 8, 2013, to Sunday, February 23, 2014, the “Contemporary KŌGEI Styles in Japan” exhibition is scheduled to be held at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in a suburb of Miami, US. The exhibition will showcase a wide range of KŌGEI works, including ceramics, dyeing and weaving, wood and bamboo work, lacquer work, metal work and glasswork, centering on works by national living treasures as well as by promising artists who will lead the Japanese KŌGEI world in the future and who are expected to be active internationally from now on.

2. This exhibition will be held jointly by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consulate General of Japan in Miami and Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens with special collaboration from the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art. This project is expected to raise awareness inside and outside the US for Japanese KŌGEI, a refined contemporary fine art that is based on traditional techniques and classical stylistic beauty while at the same time reflecting modern sensibilities and unique artistic thinking.

3. As the series of the opening events, on October 9, Kazumi Murose, a holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property (maki-e), and Men’ya Shōho, the 14th MENSHO Doll Master, are scheduled to give presentations at the Morikami Museum. Additionally, this exhibition, during its course, will help deepen understanding of Japanese culture through introducing aspects of Japanese lifestyle and culture, including Tea Ceremony and Ikebana (flower arrangement), which have formed a backdrop to the development of KŌGEI. It is also expected that the exhibition should contribute to promote the further development of traditional art and crafts and Japanese techniques, along with demostrating to the world Japanese “Monozukuri (craftsmanship)” culture and its spirituality, which have supported the modern development of Japan.

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