Craft Arts: Innovation of Tradition and Avant-Garde

Recapping the history of postwar Japanese craft arts through the work of 83 artisans, the Crafts Gallery's autumn special provides a comprehensive introduction to a field pioneered by the likes of Kenkichi Tomimoto and Gonroku Matsuda, who breathed new life into centuries of tradition and were both awarded the title of Living National Treasure. These giants' work was then continued by artists such as Mineo Okabe, while more avantgarde-minded potters sought to break free from the old ways by producing innovative, often asymmetrical pieces. Building on such a legacy, contemporary craftspeople have also sought to bring their own ideas into the mix – an undertaking represented here by the 14th Imaizumi Imaemon, Tetsuo Kusama, Akira Yagi and many more. See how their work incorporates new materials and techniques, and take the opportunity to compare these 21st-century creations with those of past masters.