Talk: Mingei Then and Now

The Mingei Undo was a revolutionary cultural movement in Japan which started in 1926. Grandfathered by YANAGI Soetsu, it intended to identify and treasure the beauty of the hand-made works produced by anonymous craftsmen, each one created amidst the climate of each local region and to its specific daily needs. It was born against the backdrop of an existing notion that only ornately-decorated ornamental pieces had value as works of art. The re-discovery of beauty in Mingei covers media from ceramics to textiles, with the works of HAMADA Shoji regarded as some of the most representative of the movement, including within the UK.

In celebration of the exhibition Art Without Heroes: Mingei at William Morris Gallery in London, the Japan Foundation and Dovecot Studios will host a talk by YOSHIZAWA Tomo, a key partner of the exhibition, that will examine the historical significance of Mingei along with its socio-economic impact. As a granddaughter of MUNEHIRO Rikizo, a Preserver of Important Intangible Cultural Property, Tomo will also delve into Mingei’s influence on contemporary makers and craftsmen, along with the relationship between maker and user, by focusing on MUNEHIRO’s textile works.