In the first exhibition since its reopening, Manchester Art Gallery's newly restored Design Gallery has been filled with over a hundred pieces of modern Japanese costume, furniture and crafts collections. Formerly a 19th century Athenaeum theatre space, the Grade II listed building is currently playing host to over 100 pieces by 32 designers drawn from the gallery's own sizeable collections.
The pieces, which span fashion, furniture, lighting, ceramics, glass, metalwork and jewellery serve as an overview of the past 50 years of Japanese design as well as an insight into the influence of Buddhism on Japanese aesthetic principles such as minimalism, deconstruction and wabi-sabi.
Highlights include two dramatic head pieces crafted by recent Royal College of Art graduate Maiko Takeda, who has previously created headdresses for Björk's Biophilia tour and now works for Issey Miyake in Japan; fashion by Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto; furniture and lighting by Masanori Umeda and Shiro Kuramata; and crafts by Takahiro Yede and Yasuko Sakura. As well as the work of Japanese designers, the showcase also looks further afield with the inclusion of works by leading UK artists and makers such as star ceramicist Edmund de Waal.
Over 100 pieces by 32 designers drawn from the Manchester gallery’s own collections of modern Japanese costume, furniture and crafts are included in the showcase
Highlights include two dramatic head pieces crafted by recent Royal College of Art graduate Maiko Takeda, who has previously created headdresses for Björk’s Biophilia tour and now works for Issey Miyake in Japan.
Fashion pieces include designs by Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, Rei Kawakubo (Comme des Garçons), Kenzo Takada (Kenzo), Gnyuki Torimaru (Yuki) and Maiko Takeda.
The furniture and lighting designs of Masanori Umeda and Shiro Kuramata are included, as are craft pieces by Takahiro Yede and Yasuko Sakura.
As well as the work of Japanese designers, the showcase also looks further afield with the inclusion of works by leading UK artists and makers.
Running until 15 January, the exhibition serves as an overview of the past 50 years of Japanese design as well as an insight into the influence of Buddhism on Japanese aesthetic principles such as minimalism, deconstruction, and wabi-sabi.
INFORMATION
'Modern Japanese Design' is on view until 15 January 2017 at Manchester Art Gallery. For more information visit Manchester Art Gallery's website
ADDRESS
Mosley Street
Manchester, M2 3JL
-
The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus Community Edition taps into the brand's creative followersThe unconventional features of Nothing Phone (2a)’s new limited edition come from a community-driven project to reshape the style and ethos of the smartphone
-
What is the sound of Stone Island? A new musical project helps you find outStone Island Sound is a new, evolving music project from the Italian label, seeing contributions from John Glacier, Yaeji and more across playlists and live performances
-
Brew were always on my mind: Pet Shop Boys release new tea setAs part of a new line of merchandise marking 40 years of Pet Shop Boys, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe celebrate the humble cuppa
-
The Turner Prize 2024 opens at Tate BritainThe Turner Prize 2024 shortlisted artists are Pio Abad, Claudette Johnson, Jasleen Kaur and Delaine Le Bas
-
Peggy Guggenheim: ‘My motto was “Buy a picture a day” and I lived up to it’Five years spent at her Sussex country retreat inspired Peggy Guggenheim to reframe her future, kickstarting one of the most thrilling modern-art collections in history
-
Please do touch the art: enter R.I.P. Germain’s underground world in LiverpoolR.I.P. Germain’s ‘After GOD, Dudus Comes Next!’ is an immersive installation at FACT Liverpool
-
‘Regeneration and repair is a really important part of how I work’: Bharti Kher at Yorkshire Sculpture ParkBharti Kher unveils the largest UK museum exhibition of her career at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
-
‘Mental health, motherhood and class’: Hannah Perry’s dynamic installation at BalticHannah Perry's exhibition ’Manual Labour’ is on show at Baltic in Gateshead, UK, a five-part installation drawing parallels between motherhood and factory work
-
Francis Alÿs plots child play around the world at the BarbicanIn Francis Alÿs' exhibition ‘Ricochets’ at London’s Barbican, the artist explores the universality of play, even in challenging situations
-
At Glastonbury’s Shangri-La, activism and innovation meetGlastonbury’s south-east corner is known for its after-dark entertainment but by day, there is a different story to tell
-
Suzannah Pettigrew's 'tender and ghostly' new show at Surrealist photographer Lee Miller's former home in East SussexLondon-based artist Suzannah Pettigrew's photographic stills create a snapshot of her Sussex coast childhood, conjuring up a hallucinatory world of memory
