THE TABLE / CONVERSATIONS ON CRAFT

CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE CRAFT IN DIALOGUE

THE TABLE / CONVERSATIONS ON CRAFT

CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE CRAFT IN DIALOGUE

THE TABLE / CONVERSATIONS ON CRAFT

The exhibition of contemporary Japanese makers at a Scandinavian store in Tokyo seemed almost inevitable.

The connection between Nordic design values and heritage, and the traditions and aesthetics of Japanese craft are often remarked.

For the fifth anniversary of Artek Tokyo, the company’s first store in Japan, Ark Journal curated the exhibition THE TABLE / CONVERSATIONS ON CRAFT.

PHOTO | KINGY HSU

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Among the objects shown were wood and lacquer by Rentaro Arakawa, dyed wooden plates and cutlery by Eita Kitayama, lacquered and dyed containers by Masami Tokuda, cushions for Artek stools by tatami specialist Mitsuru Yokoyama, wood pieces from Kazuto Yoshikawa, and copper tea and sake utensils from Fuukido.

On tables created by Finnish master Alvar Aalto, a co-founder of Artek, contemporary Japanese makers displayed works that showed the affinity between the two design cultures, pieces that translated traditional materials and techniques into a new visual language. For the past decade, a new wave of independent Japanese designers and creators has produced unique or limited-edition pieces, driven by a vocabulary of forms
and a renewed approach to materials and manufacturing, they work at the intersection of ancient techniques and modern expressions.

As part of the exhibition, Ark Journal commissioned two specially designed versions of Alvar
Aalto's 1932 classic, Armchair 42, initially designed for the Paimio Sanatorium in 1932.
Crafted from Finnish birch, one version features a walnut-stained seat and frame while the
other is treated with a high-gloss black lacquer. ⁠
Known as "Small Paimio", the fluidity of the cantilevered Armchair 42 ensures a soft,
comfortable place to sit, a chair without straight lines and of exceptional aesthetic appeal.
Since wood changes over time, the armrests are formed from a single piece that is then split
in half, ensuring that as the chair ages, it remains perfectly balanced.⁠
The special editions are now available in very limited quantities from the Artek stores in
Tokyo and Helsinki and from Ark Kollekt.⁠

SHOP THE ARMCHAIR 42 SPECIAL EDITION

On tables created by Finnish master Alvar Aalto, a co-founder of Artek, contemporary Japanese makers displayed works that showed the affinity between the two design cultures, pieces that translated traditional materials and techniques into a new visual language. For the past decade, a new wave of independent Japanese designers and creators has produced unique or limited-edition pieces, driven by a vocabulary of forms
and a renewed approach to materials and manufacturing, they work at the intersection of ancient techniques and modern expressions.

Among the objects shown were wood and lacquer by Rentaro Arakawa, dyed wooden plates and cutlery by Eita Kitayama, lacquered and dyed containers by Masami Tokuda, cushions for Artek stools by tatami specialist Mitsuru Yokoyama, wood pieces from Kazuto Yoshikawa, and copper tea and sake utensils from Fuukido.

As part of the exhibition, Ark Journal commissioned two specially designed versions of Alvar
Aalto's 1932 classic, Armchair 42, initially designed for the Paimio Sanatorium in 1932.
Crafted from Finnish birch, one version features a walnut-stained seat and frame while the
other is treated with a high-gloss black lacquer. ⁠
Known as "Small Paimio", the fluidity of the cantilevered Armchair 42 ensures a soft,
comfortable place to sit, a chair without straight lines and of exceptional aesthetic appeal.
Since wood changes over time, the armrests are formed from a single piece that is then split
in half, ensuring that as the chair ages, it remains perfectly balanced.⁠
The special editions are now available in very limited quantities from the Artek stores in
Tokyo and Helsinki and from Ark Kollekt.⁠

SHOP THE ARMCHAIR 42 SPECIAL EDITION

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