“Timeless” – A Collaboration Bridging Past and Present at artKYOTO 2024

by Lewis Miesen
Translation by Oe Yuri

This year’s artKYOTO art fair, held on Kyoto on Thurs. Oct. 31, Fri. Nov. 2, and Sun. Nov. 3, will feature sixteen selected galleries and art dealers specializing in crafts (kogei), antiques, and modern and contemporary art. It offers visitors a chance to experience Japanese aesthetics on a deeper level, at a spectacular venue, Shōsei-en Garden, donated to Higashi Honganji Temple in 1641. The garden has long been associated with poetry, tea ceremonies, Noh and Kyogen performances, and other cultural traditions rich in literati culture. This setting offers a chance to experience the enduring sense of Japanese beauty that has been passed down through generations, and serves as a perfect backdrop to this bridge connecting past and present.

KJ readers can use this unique code to enter the exhibition for free
(Note: does not include entrance to Shōsei-en Garden, which costs 700 yen). 

“Timeless” is a collaboration between the curators Yanagi Koji of Oriental Fine Arts Yanagi, Hata Takashi of gallery shirushi, and Kanegae Hideo of KANEGAE <KOGEI Next>.

While each gallery specializes in works from different periods and genres, they unite in this exhibition with a shared mission: to pass on the essence of Japanese aesthetics to the next generation. The selected pieces, chosen for their potential to resonate across time, seek to connect the timeless qualities of Japanese art with the contemporary atmosphere. This exhibition at artKYOTO 2024 will be the first step in an ongoing dialogue.

Kanegae Hideo of KANEGAE <KOGEI Next>  shared his thoughts on this ambitious exhibition with KJ’s Lewis Miesen:

Lewis Miesen: What inspired the collaboration between your galleries for this exhibition?

Kanegae Hideo: The collaboration was sparked by a shared sense of urgency that the world of antique art and crafts risks being overshadowed by the pace of modern change. Yanagi-san, Hata-san, and I all recognized that we haven’t been able to communicate the cultural relevance of these art forms as effectively as we’d like in this day and age. For some time, we had been saying, “It would be great if the three of us could collaborate on something cool and meaningful,” and this exhibition became the first opportunity to bring that vision to life.

“Timeless” aims to pass Japan’s aesthetic sensibilities to the next generation. What are these sensibilities? How do you define them, and how do you see them evolving in the future?

I believe aesthetic sensibilities are the confidence to say “good things are good,” regardless of genre or era. For example, Japan has a concept called mitate (見立て), or artful reinterpretation. There’s a well-known story of Sen no Rikyū using a fisherman’s basket as a flower vase, which I think he was able to do so because he had the confidence to see beauty without boundaries.

As antique dealers, the three of us frequently encounter and evaluate works from different eras all in one setting. By repeatedly honing this holistic perspective, we’ve developed the confidence to identify works that transcend time and are truly “timeless.” In this exhibition, for example, we are showcasing an African sculpture. This is a piece that Hata-san, who specializes in East Asian antiques, acquired because he was deeply moved by its beauty, even though it was his first time collecting African art. I was truly impressed by his keen aesthetic sense in recognizing its charm. We will be displaying this sculpture with the firelight window of Tekisui-ken as its backdrop, and I’m excited for everyone to experience it.

gallery shirushi
MANGBETU FIGURE
REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, 19th century
provenance: YAMAGUCHI collection

As galleries with a focus on historical and antique art, how do you balance preserving tradition while embracing modern techniques and ideas?

I believe it’s essential to actively incorporate modern techniques and ideas. While we handle crafts and antiques deeply rooted in tradition, we are still living in the present day. Personally, I spend about six hours a day in the digital world, whether on my computer or phone, rather than fully immersed in the physical world. I think it’s precisely at the intersection of tradition and modern technology and ideas where true Reiwa-era craftsmanship can emerge. For example, Shiomi Ryosuke’s new work, Lunar armour “White rabbit”, which will be featured in this exhibition, was created with this very concept in mind. Shiomi, a master of traditional techniques, has infused this piece with cutting-edge contemporary ideas, resulting in a hybrid work that blends craft and contemporary art.

What do you hope today’s audience will take away from this exhibition that they might carry with them into the future? How does this exhibition speak to future generations?

I’d be particularly happy if younger visitors leave with the sense that antique art and crafts are not only beautiful but also relevant and even “cool.” I hope they recognize the potential for these traditional works to connect with contemporary ideas, spaces, and even subcultures. Ultimately, I want them to see that these pieces still have the power to inspire and resonate within today’s world.

What is the relationship between craft and modern society?

I believe that craft must work in tandem with society. In the late 19th century, the Paris Exposition Universelle and Vienna World’s Fair sparked a wave of Japonisme in Europe, largely thanks to Japanese crafts. This led the Meiji government to promote art production as a means of earning foreign currency. If craft doesn’t play this kind of role in driving society forward, I don’t think it can continue to grow. It’s not enough to simply preserve traditional techniques and customs because they are historical—we need to actively connect craft with modern society and allow it to evolve. Without that kind of vision, I believe craft won’t be sustainable.

In that context, the ceramic works by Noguchi Kansai, such as the one featured in this exhibition presents an important proposal to society. In ceramics, lime is typically used in glazes to create a glass-like finish, a process known as vitrification. Noguchi originally used this type of lime glaze for his white pieces, but when he discovered that many pearls unsuitable for jewelry were being discarded, he wondered if, since pearls are primarily made of calcium carbonate, they could serve as a substitute for lime. The result exceeded his expectations. It was the birth of what he calls pearl glaze. I believe this glaze, harnessing the gifts of the sea, represents the ultimate white. At the same time, it’s an effort to recycle precious resources within society. If its application were extended beyond ceramics into fields like architecture or product design, we could find new ways to incorporate the ocean’s valuable resources into our everyday lives.

KANEGAE <KOGEI Next>
JOMON YAKISHIME
Noguchi Kansai
2024

Today, craft holds a niche position in society, but we need to make proposals from within the craft world that can inspire real change.

How can we connect everyday people to antiques? What does antique art have to offer people today?

Antiques are more than objects; they are living embodiments of culture. A tea bowl in the practice of tea ceremony, a mask in theater, or a vase in ikebana—each one is woven into the fabric of these cultural traditions. Often, people are drawn to antiques through these cultural gateways, and just as often, it happens in reverse—someone might first be captivated by the sculptural presence of a tea bowl and from there, be inspired to explore the world of tea culture.

Antiques also serve as a bridge to history. Even in a modern home, placing a single antique piece can anchor the space in a lineage of craftsmanship and aesthetic values that have been passed down through centuries. Each piece carries with it stories from the past, and through those stories, antiques can enrich our present-day lives, offering a sense of continuity and depth that connects us to the broader flow of time.

How would you describe the participating galleries and what is unique about them?

Oriental Fine Arts Yanagi, of course, needs no introduction. It’s a renowned gallery that houses exceptional pieces from the Jomon period to the pre-Meiji era, with an especially impressive selection of tea utensils from the Momoyama to Edo periods. Then there’s Hata Takashi of gallery shirushi, who is widely known within the industry. His newly opened gallery has a casual, approachable style, aimed at making antiques more accessible, yet it handles a diverse range of works, from Chinese art to modern art, including museum-quality items of significant cultural importance. As for KANEGAE, we specialize primarily in chōzetsu gikō, or superlative craftsmanship, from the Meiji period, but we’ve expanded to include contemporary artists as well. We also engage in projects that connect craftspeople with society, further bridging the traditional and the modern.

Oriental Fine Arts Yanagi
Hollow Clay Sculpture
Mid-3rd century – 7th century

What makes this exhibition unique is that although the three galleries handle works from vastly different periods, genres, and styles, we’ve curated them together in the space at Tekisui-ken, creating a site-specific presentation. For example, KANEGAE’s glass artist Tanaka Saki is presenting her works with a lighting effect to complement Oriental Fine Arts Yanagi’s hiten (Flying Apsaras) statue from the Kamakura period. We’re aiming to present a modern interpretation of the traditional tokonoma alcove, bringing these timeless works into dialogue with the present. That said, the artwork isn’t finished yet, so I’m quite anxious and excited as we wait for it to come together!