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Japan Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Atsushi Kitagawara's exhibition finds poetry in architecture
Architect Atsushi Kitagawara has always wanted to be a poet of architecture. '(Figures in) literature, art and philosophy, such as Stephane Mallarme and Marcel Duchamp, who defined the nature of modern art, are crucial elements that inspire my designs,' says Kitagawara. 'I create architecture with the dream of one day becoming a poet like Mallarme.' Kitagawara, 73, is professor emeritus at the Tokyo University of the Arts, where he taught until 2019 encouraging students to pursue experimental approaches to architecture under the banner of 'theatrical urban planning.' This perspective has distinguished Kitagawara from his peers, particularly through an architectural language that incorporates influences from various disciplines across the art spectrum. His artistic sensibilities are now on view at ' The Constellation of Time and Space ,' the architect's first solo exhibition showcasing his life's work. The year-long retrospective runs through to May 17, 2026 at the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection in Hokuto, Yamanashi Prefecture. Designed by Kitagawara, this building houses the only Keith Haring museum in the world and it is the only queer museum in Japan . Since admission includes the museum's permanent exhibition, visitors are able to immerse themselves in Haring's work before stepping into Kitagawara's world, granting them a comprehensive view of the symbiotic relationship between art and architecture that characterizes his work. The Nakamura Keith Haring Collection museum is built among lush nature, on the slopes of Mount Yatsugatake in Yamanashi Prefecture. | COURTESY OF NAKAMURA KEITH HARING COLLECTION In addition to running his architecture office, Kitagawara is professor emeritus at the Tokyo University of the Arts, where he taught until 2019. | © TOHA, COURTESY OF NAKAMURA KEITH HARING COLLECTION 'While this exhibition introduces my architectural ideas, it also interprets the design of the museum itself,' Kitagawara says.'I hope that visitors will gain a deeper understanding of the exhibition by first experiencing the building's architecture.' The Nakamura Keith Haring Collection building includes the six distinct architectural elements — inverted cone, darkness, giant frame, nature, hope and colliding walls — which are also framed as themes for each of the sections of the exhibition that introduce Kitagawara's ethos, essentially creating a meta-retrospective where the venue is at once a main and supporting character. Other materials on display — over 100 of them — include an ongoing series of drawings and diverse architectural models, some of which contain verses such as excerpts of Mallarme's poem 'A Throw of the Dice will Never Abolish Chance.' There are depictions of Kitagawara's first project, the now-demolished House of Nadja built in 1978, an attempt to translate the essence of Andre Breton's novel 'Nadja' into architectural form. There are also items that helped shape Kitagawara's creative identity, from butterfly specimens collected during his childhood in rural Nagano Prefecture to books that inspired his design aesthetic. Architecture constellations Kitagawara waxes poetic when asked about the name of the exhibition: 'In my head, there are countless ideas scattered like stars,' he says. 'At certain moments, they connect by chance and come together as a piece of architecture. In other words, all the architecture I have designed so far is interconnected.' A prominent display in the exhibition showcases the initial plans for the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection museum where each section was imagined as a separate building, creating a cluster of structures that would have required visitors to walk outside to reach each one. The plans were changed so the sections became elements of a single building, but the surrounding area contains its own constellation of Kitagawara works, of which the museum is the main star. Kitagawara also designed Hotel Key Forest, located within walking distance from the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection museum. | © SHIGERU OHNO The asymmetric angular shapes in the hotel's facade are reflected on the inside as well. | ©️TOHA A short walk from it is Hotel Keyforest Hokuto , offering luxury boutique accommodation and a cozy interior in a building of asymmetric trapezoid shapes, their sharp edges idiosyncratically extending in different directions. Visitors arriving in the area by train will pass through Kobuchizawa Station , another of Kitagawara's designs, which blends in with the area's natural volcanic landscape through its brown color scheme and effective use of wood. 'Earth, people, architecture: I pursue a balance between these three,' he answers simply when asked what his vision for architecture is. Kitagawara's buildings in Tokyo stand out from the rectangular office structures. He employs curved lines as exemplified in the Japanese Centre of International P.E.N. and Shibuya's Cinema Rise — the building that first brought him international attention — which also pays homage to surrealism with its melty iron curtains facade, giant mirrors and sculptural peacocks. Passing the torch The exhibition marks a turning point in Kitagawara's career. He's stepping back from leading his studio (although he will stay on as an adviser), which has undergone a rebranding that drops his well-known name, a rare occurrence in the world of architecture. The studio, now named MET Team Architects , is led by three partners in a collaborative setup: Motomi Nishiuchi, Angel Estevez Calvo and Tomohiro Kitaguchi, who all formerly worked under Kitagawara. The Kitagawara studio is now named MET Team Architects, one letter for each of the three partners that lead it: Motomi Nishiuchi, Angel Estevez Calvo and Tomohiro Kitaguchi. | COURTESY OF MET TEAM ARCHITECTS 'All three of them have distinct personalities,' Kitagawara says. 'Through inspiring and challenging one another they're capable of producing interesting works together. It's a bit of an old-fashioned expression, but I would call it Aufheben,' he says, citing the German word used by philosopher Georg Hegel to mean both preserving and changing. Shedding the Kitagawara name presents both opportunities and challenges for the new studio. 'From a company perspective, moving away from the Kitagawara brand might have its drawbacks, but he wanted to support the next generation,' says Estevez, a Spaniard who now finds himself leading one of Japan's premier architecture firms. While charting their own course, the three architects are set in keeping the bottom-up approach that nurtured them. 'Kitagawara ran his office like his design studio at the Tokyo University of the Arts,' Kitaguchi says. 'It was a creative space where innovative ideas could spark from anyone, no matter their role, and everyone was encouraged to propose new ideas. That's the kind of environment we aim to maintain.' The original drawings for the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection museum on display show Kitagawara's initial plans for separate buildings that would have required the visitors to walk outside the forest. | COURTESY OF ATSUSHI KITAGAWARA AND THE NAKAMURA KEITH HARING COLLECTION MUSEUM The trio is already hard at work on diverse projects across Japan and the world, including the masterplan for the 6.5-hectare plaza at a new station in the Nagano area for the upcoming Chuo Shinkansen maglev line. Still, taking over from someone as prominent as Kitagawara is a significant responsibility, Nishiuchi says. 'It feels heavy on our shoulders, but fortunately, we're a team of three that share the responsibility. The fact that we've been working together for a long time makes it easier.' Kitagawara agrees, quoting a Japanese proverb: 'Three heads are better than one.' 'I want the young architects who have been working alongside me over the years to be able to spread their wings and create freely,' he says. 'The Constellation of Time and Space' runs through May 17, 2016. For more information, visit
Japan Times
04-08-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
The international artists supporting Japan's craft legacy
Japanese crafts are in high demand around the world. Both domestic and international consumers value these quality goods made by meticulous methods and infused with distinctive regional aesthetics. While this seems promising for Japanese craftspeople, one looming question remains: Will there be enough of them in the future to meet growing demand? As Japan grapples with a declining population, its craft heritage has been hit especially hard. The number of traditional artisans has dropped significantly due to discontinuities in family-owned businesses and the migration of younger generations from rural to urban areas. This has resulted in an uncertain future for certain crafting disciplines, such as urushi lacquerware, textile weaving and dyeing and woodturning. However, a new generation of international artists has been training in Japanese traditions with aspirations to help carry the legacy forward. Rabea Ferber, 27, is part of this wave. When her then-fiance enrolled in an MFA in ceramics at Tokyo University of the Arts, Ferber decided to take the leap and join him, traveling from her home country of Germany to Japan on a working holiday visa in 2020. Ferber had initially begun woodworking as a hobby while studying product design at university. Determined to continue her passion, she completed a two-year course at the Ishikawa Prefectural Institute for Yamanaka Lacquerware in Yamanaka Onsen. Ferber and her husband, Ido, eventually made a full-time home in Ishikawa, where they have their own studio to sell her wood and lacquer tableware and his ceramic pieces. Hailing from Germany, Rabea Ferber (center) and her husband live and work in Ishikawa Prefecture, not only selling their own crafts but highlighting local artisans through their website, Sentomono. | Courtesy of Rabea Ferber 'What we like about Yamanaka, the reason we decided to stay, is that it's a really small community and everyone knows each other,' Ferber says. Her dedication to Japanese crafts earns her bonus points from local residents. 'Whenever I tell them I came here to study craft, they respond, 'Wow, you're really dedicated! It's wonderful that you came here!' There's a lot of pride there.' In Ferber's view, schools and artisan communities that offer training are concerned that students, whether domestic or international, won't stick around. 'The worry is that a lot of people come here, they study, and then they leave and don't continue the craft or don't contribute to the area,' she says, 'so there's a big desire to have people stay.' Forging community For the past four years, Canadian-born Jesse Cunningham, 42, has been working as a blacksmith in rural Kochi Prefecture. After training and working as a blacksmith in Canada and Spain, he wanted to transition into toolmaking — and where better than the land that's home to the legendary katana? Cunningham initially came to Japan through the JET Programme, teaching English in Oita Prefecture while keeping an eye out for opportunities. He eventually discovered a forge run by blacksmith Nobuya Hayashi in Kochi that offered short classes. 'I joined one of the workshops and, during that time, I found out there was a longer (class) I could take,' says Cunningham. 'So after I finished my teaching contract, I came back over and did a weeklong workshop.' But a week's training wasn't going to cut it. 'I heard that, in Japan, it's impolite to straight up ask for a position. However, I wasn't above dropping a lot of pretty serious hints about wanting to continue on.' After some discreet back-and-forth communications with Hayashi, Cunningham was formally asked to stay on at the forge. Hayashi supported his visa change paperwork and even helped him and his partner find housing in an akiya (abandoned home) for rent nearby. Over the years, Cunningham and Hayashi have developed a strong working relationship. 'When it started, we didn't know where it was going to go or how it was going to work, because he'd never had an employee before. But I can optimistically say it's going well.' Beyond their local ties, both Ferber and Cunningham have built a wider network through their craft. Ferber and her husband met many colleagues through their training, some of whom they feature on their website, Sentomono, which helps sell their work to global clients. 'We've met many young artists who, compared to us, have little to no internet presence and don't sell abroad at all. We, on the other hand, have a huge interest in our work from foreign customers,' Ferber says. 'Though we're learning Japanese craft from Japanese people, we have an advantage selling because we can better access the international market. We felt this was unfair. At the same time, we want to help the artists that we personally know.' Under Hayashi's tutelage, Cunningham has also collaborated with other craftspeople from across Japan, including those interested in workshop pedagogy. 'We had two other blacksmiths in the workshop the other week: a garden toolmaker from central Honshu ... and one of our neighbor blacksmiths (who) popped in to watch our workshops because he's also thinking of doing them,' he says. 'That was really fun because he's an excellent blacksmith.' Connections beyond nationality As Japan's crafting culture grows in popularity, the study of Japanese craft has traveled well beyond the country's borders. Ceramic artist Virginija Kliseviciute Fujie, 38, first encountered Japanese crafts in a foundation course at Leksand Folk High School in Sweden. 'The school has a very good connection with Japanese craft and a number of Japanese exchange students would visit,' Fujie explains. 'It even had a Japanese (wood-fired) kiln, an anagama, which is rare to see in Sweden.' This experience inspired Fujie to spend close to four months at Tokyo Zokei University in 2013, an exchange program through which she studied classical sculpture. 'I studied a lot of practical sculpture, working with models, and I also tried stone carving, which I loved,' she says. 'I had ... the old guard teaching me, masters who had worked there for 50 to 60 years, and they retired just after I finished — so I was incredibly lucky.' She also happened to meet her husband during this period. Virginija Kliseviciute Fujie first encountered Japanese ceramics as a high school student in Sweden. After several stints studying in Tokyo, she returned to Japan permanently to live and work in the seaside town of Kamakura. | Laura Pollacco Fujie went on to pursue her master's degree in ceramic arts back in Sweden, coming to Japan for another yearlong exchange in 2015. After completing her degree, she resettled in Japan permanently and now lives and works out of her studio in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture. Thanks to her seaside location, Fujie has taken up surfing, which has the double effect of inspiring her current work in ceramics as well as introducing her to a brand-new audience. 'The biggest surprise has been how that community has responded,' she says. 'They come and support my exhibitions in Kamakura — even people who never had an interest in ceramics.' For Fujie, all art is a form of communication and a chance for connection beyond nationality. 'When I think about all the weird cups I have made and sold, and how there are people, somewhere, drinking their morning coffee out of them and enjoying it, it's mind-boggling to me.' Fujie, Ferber and Cunningham all came to Japan to cultivate a specific skill and join a lineage that was not available in their home countries. But beyond their engagement with their respective crafts, they each found something deeper: community, collaboration and a place of their own in Japan's cultural landscape. Whether they realize it or not, they have joined the narrative of Japanese craftsmanship — and are also shaping its future. Learn more about the artists via their Instagram accounts @ @jessethedeshi and @sculptspace
