The London Design Festival is currently showcasing the Craft x Tech Tokai Project at the V&A in South Kensington. This exhibition brings together six artisans from Japan's Tokai region with internationally acclaimed designers and artists to create new objects.
The works on display encompass ceramics, washi paper, textiles, cloisonné enamel, and braided cord. The project, founded by designer and engineer Dr. Hideki Yoshimoto of Tangent design studio, paired each designer with a specialist maker from the Tokai region's craft communities.
Dr. Yoshimoto stated his aim was to take the extensive knowledge accumulated through Japanese craft "outside the context in which it is normally understood, and see what new relevance it might have when it encounters very different minds." The Tokai region, which includes the prefectures of Aichi, Gifu, Mie, and Shizuoka, has a rich history of making due to its natural resources and position along historic trade routes.
Among the collaborations, Australian industrial designer David Caon worked with Yohei Ito on Mino Yaki ceramics for a console and lighting piece. British-Canadian designer Philippe Malouin collaborated with Shigeyuki Ando on Owari Shippo cloisonné, creating stackable boxes. Additionally, Japanese contemporary artist Eugene Kangawa partnered with Mayuki Kato on Seto Sometsuke Yaki porcelain, and designers Francesca Lanzavecchia and Hunn Wai worked with Takanori Senda to reinterpret the shōji screen using Mino Washi paper.