There are currently eight research laboratories devoted to engraving, hammering, casting, lacquerware, ceramics, dyeing and weaving, woodwork and glassware, allowing instructors in each department to make free use of various materials and techniques to pursue their artistic practices as a regular working artist. The distinguishing trait of craft is that it makes practical, instrumental uses of materials and techniques, while also requiring that those processes lead to something feasible and applicable. Craft is fundamentally the result of the handmade, of firsthand contact with the material, which must then be cultivated and molded, in order to tap the latent energy inherent in the craft being made.
The theme of "contemplating crafts" in this exhibition is a chance to reconsider the singular appeal of artisanal techniques that give shape and form to something through manual flourishes, enabling various possibilities of expression to come about through a creative process that is by turns joyful and worrisome, the artisan's mood shifting just as the colors and shapes of his material do.
There is also an accompanying exhibition "Craft Art Exhibition" where some of the participating artists in the main exhibition show their works which can be purchased.
Dates: Apr 22 (Tue) - May 25 (Sun), 2008
Closed on Mondays (Except: Open on May 5 (Mon); Closed on May 7 (Wed))
Hours: 10:00-18:00
Place: Geidai Art Plaza (located in the University precinct)
Admission: Free
10 minute walk from exit 1 at Nezu Station on the Chiyoda line, 10 minute walk from the Koen exit of JR Ueno Station, 15 minute walk from the Main exit of Keisei Ueno Station on the Keisei line.
No comments yet