Born Elsewhere, Made in Japan
Most Japanese crafts knowledge could disappear within a generation. The country is growing old and depopulating at incredible speed, and as lifestyle has become more westernised throughout the last hundred years, fewer people are interested in becoming a shokunin, a craftsman. According to JapanCraft21, an organisation founded by Steve Beimel
Feeling More x Musubi Academy
Musubi Academy, a platform dedicated to exploring Japanese wisdom and its relevance to contemporary life, is the brainchild of Laurens van Aarle. We bonded through our shared appreciation of Japanese culture, and when the website launched in April 2024, he asked me if I would like to contribute an essay
Kamon, the Original Logos of Japan
Traditions are living entities. The Hatoba family enriches and evolves the role of the Monsho Uwaeshi, the artisans of Japanese family crests, ensuring that the thousand-year-old craft of mon making remains relevant in the 21st century. I come from an Italian family on my father’s side with
Craftsmanship and Circularity Are One
When I’m asked about my interest in craftsmanship, especially that of Japan, I explain that at its core is the fact that circular principles are inherently baked in. Modern designers rightly focus on using sustainable materials, reducing waste, ensuring repairability, and promoting recycling. Japanese crafts go beyond this, intertwining
Fabrico, ergo intellego
Enzo Mari was passionately opposed to consumerism and criticised mediocre objects not made to last. He believed that to truly appreciate the value of an item—like a chair or sofa—consumers needed to learn how to make it with their own hands, gaining a deeper understanding of what goes
Prefecture Makes Perfect
This article was first published in the London Design Festival 'Red Book' (print) and website in 2024. Designers, technologists and artisans breathe new life into Japanese craft at the V&A How can centuries-old Japanese craft techniques be preserved for another hundred years? For Hideki Yoshimoto
People Power
This article was first published in the London Design Festival 'Red Book' and website in 2024. POoR Collective channels the youth of Wandsworth in a multifaceted show at an industrial icon "The ambition of all of our projects is to challenge what design is, what design can
Newsletter Summer Special 2024
When I started The Craftsman Newsletter in 2017 it was about recommending craft-related objects and people I encountered through my frequent travels. In time it evolved into original long-form stories that went behind the scenes. When lockdowns hit in 2020 and my plans to go to Japan to
The genius of Raku Jikinyū
“He’s clearly a genius” one of the collectors in attendance at the exhibition told me a few weeks ago. However, the work of Raku Jikinyū was not always seen that way. Jikinyū rejects labels like ‘artist’, ‘artisan’ or ‘potter’ and would rather be called a chawanya, a maker of
Art without heroes: Mingei with Róisín Inglesby
On Friday 14 June 2024 I hosted an online session to dive into Japanese folk-craft culture. The William Morris Gallery in London is hosting the brilliant exhibition: ‘Art Without Heroes: Mingei’ (running until 22 September 2024), so I invited the curator, Róisín Inglesby, to discuss five of her favourite
A Tale Of Two Orin - Part 1
It's November 2023 and I’m in Takaoka, Toyama prefecture. There’s a sleepy atmosphere despite it being a Monday. The city is famous across Japan for its copperware and decorative lacquerware. It’s raining and I’m here to visit the workshop of Shimatani Yoshinori, a 4th-
Talking by making: pottery in the heart of Uji
Ceramics and tea culture are both close to my heart so when Hosai Matsubayashi XVI invited me to practise pottery at Asahiyaki it felt like a dream come true.