AXIS Gallery will hold a series of four talk sessions titled "Cultivate: the Works of Designer Kosei Shirotani."
All across Japan, designers are now planting roots in communities and working to revitalize areas and preserve traditional crafts. Kosei Shirotani moved to his hometown of Unzen, Nagasaki, in 2002 after living in Milan. How many people there could have imagined the "design" that he wanted? Shirotani, who studied under masters of Italian design such as Achille Castiglioni and Enzo Mari, did not design products that were meant to be simply consumed one after another. Instead, he went far beyond the conventional scope of "design," becoming a teacher of traditional crafts alongside artisans of Kyushu, studying the local agriculture and food, and engaging in town development.
For this series, we will meet key people from several communities who are strongly tied to Shirotani and discover his work through four talk sessions covered in two days. This is an opportunity to not only discover the work of one designer, but to explore how we should deal with a drastically changing society and environment, and what kind of design we should seek from now on.
Photo Credit: Yayoi Arimoto
"Karimizuan," a cafe and retail space in a renovated traditional house (left) and Studio Shirotani (right)
| Event period |
Saturday, March 26 to Sunday, March 27, 2022 |
|---|---|
| Time | 14:00-15:30, 17:00-18:30 |
| * Entry is allowed 20 minutes before the start of the event on both days (13:40 / 16:40) | |
| Venue | |
| Capacity | 50 people per session (first-come-first-served basis) |
| Fee | Free |
| Application | Advance registration required (Peatix) |
| Sponsor | Exhibition "Cultivate" Organizing Committee |
| Organized by | Karimizu Town Development Committee, Unzen City |
| Cooperation | AXIS Gallery |
[Schedule]
Session 1: March 26 (Sat.) 14:00-15:30 | The Dream of the Karimizu Project
Session 2: March 26 (Sat.) 17:00-18:30 | The Crafting Utopia
Session 3: March 27 (Sun.) 14:00-15:30 | Cultivating the Creativity of Traditional Crafts
Session 4: March 27 (Sun.) 17:00-18:30 | Design Rooted in the Community
<Aptenia> (Baica), lighting created in collaboration with a bamboo craftsman from Beppu Design: Kosei Shirotani, Photo Credit: Ryoji Kudaka
Shirotani talking with Enzo Mari, a master of the design world with whom Shirotani had a close relationship
Kosei Shirotani, designer born in Obamacho, Unzen City Photo Credit: Yayoi Arimoto
These talk sessions will be held at AXIS Gallery while taking thorough measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The sessions will also be live streamed on InstaLive from Karimizuan's account.
@Karimizuan
Learn more Official website
Contact