General Events

Kogei: Traditional Japanese Arts and Crafts of Fukushima, Japan

Event Type

Exhibition

Sponsor

Japan House and Spurlock Museum

Location

Central Core Gallery, Spurlock Museum, 600 S Gregory St, Urbana, IL 61801

Date

Apr 19, 2025   2:00 - 4:00 pm  

Speaker

Seiran Chiba, Akie Hashimoto, Ayako Hirai

Registration

Registration Required on EventBrite

Originating Calendar

Japan House Events

On Saturday, April 19 at Spurlock Museum in the Knight Auditorium, Japan House is pleased to partner with the Spurlock Museum to feature the opening of Kogei: Traditional Japanese Arts and Crafts of Fukushima, Japan.

The reception and artist meet and greet will be in the Charles M. and Barbara. S. Hundley Central Core Gallery at the Spurlock Museum. Japan House thanks Spurlock Museum for co-sponsoring this event. In April 2025, Japan House will be hosting Seiran Chiba, Akie Hashimoto, and Ayako Hirai as visiting artists-in-residence for a series of workshops and programs for the University of Illinois and local community. There will be light refreshments served and we welcome visitors to mingle with the artists and view their creations.

This free, public exhibit features a variety of pieces made by the Fukushima artists and craftspeople, and it will be on display from April through November 2025 on the 2nd Floor in the Asia Gallery. We express our gratitude to the Fukushima artists and craftspeople who have gifted the pieces to be displayed, to the Fukushima Prefectural Museum for providing descriptions on the history of traditional crafts in Fukushima, and to Japan House Intern Eungi Youn for translating them with edits by Diana Liao, Japan House Education and Engagement Specialist. Japan House and Spurlock Museum acknowledge support from the Illinois Arts Council.

Kogei (工芸) translates to traditional arts and crafts. Arts and crafts include disciplines such as ceramics, textiles, woodworking, lacquerware, papermaking, and other means of artistic expression that involve considerable understanding of traditional methods and techniques. Artisans hone their skills to create objects that are both practical and aesthetically pleasing. Kogei artists and their produced objects are valued for their rich history that reflect intangible cultural heritage spanning hundreds of years, as techniques and processes are passed down from generation to generation. A category of kogei is mingei, (民芸), which translates to “folk crafts,” and is formed from minshu (民衆), meaning common people, and kogei (工芸). Art critic and philosopher Soetsu Yanagi created this term and the mingei movement in the 1920/30s to distinguish the value of everyday items made for ordinary use for the common person.

The Kogei exhibition and programming are supported by the Japan Foundation New York through the U.S.-Japan Community Grassroots Exchange Program. Japan House is proud to highlight the traditional arts and crafts of Fukushima and feature the stories of Fukushima.

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About the Fukushima Artists and Craftspeople

Seiran Chiba is a world-renowned Japanese shodo (calligraphy) artist from Fukushima. Originally born in Tokyo, she is now a Cultural Ambassador for the Fukushima Tourism Exchange. She is active as a traveling calligrapher, embarking on journeys such as the ‘Calligraphy Tour of All 59 Municipalities in Fukushima Prefecture’ and the ‘Japanese Calligraphy Journey.’ Since 2013, she has been conducting large-scale calligraphy demonstrations and workshops at overseas educational institutions. In 2020, she provided calligraphy for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic commemorative monument, and in 2024, she won the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology Award at the 2024 National Open Calligraphy Exhibition.

Akie Hashimoto studied the manufacturing and processing of washi (traditional Japanese paper) at the Kyoto Dento Kogei College. After working as a washi artisan for 6 years, she went to Australia on a working holiday for two years. After returning to Japan, she began producing Miharu Hariko at her family’s folk craft business, Hashimoto Hiroji Mingei. In 2018, she conceptualized and crafted Tsurushi-bina Hariko, hanging strands of dolls made with hariko, which she now exhibits every spring. In addition to the traditional miharu hariko style, she also creates new pieces incorporating elements such as dots and pastel colors.

Ayako Hirai is a lacquer craftswoman and kintsugi specialist. She was born in Fukushima, and she completed her degree in Art and Culture of Lacquer Crafting at Tohoku University of Art & Design in 2013. She worked in an antique furniture repair shop after graduation with her deep knowledge of wood. In 2016, she and her husband, Gaku Hirai, started their independent studio in Inawashiro Town. Gaku Hirai also graduated from Tohoku University of Art & Design in 2011, with a degree in Lacquer Crafting. Working together, Gaku uses traditional methods to extract and refine urushi from lacquer trees while Ayako chooses the material and design of their lacquerware. They value the harmony between wood and lacquer, using traditional techniques to create lacquerware that fits into modern life.

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FAQs

What are my transport/parking options getting to the event?

The location is the Charles M. and Barbara S. Hundley Central Core Gallery in the Spurlock Museum at 600 S Gregory St, Urbana, IL 61801. Parking on the weekends at all parking spaces are free as indicated on the signs. There are bike racks near the parking lots. Various buses service the area as well.

Questions about accommodations or accessibility?

Please email japanhouse@illinois.edu if you have any questions.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

You do not have to bring your ticket and walk-ins are welcome, space permitting. Visitors can drop by any time between 2-4pm.

The name on the registration/ticket doesn't match the attendee. Is that okay?

The purchaser of the ticket can go to "My Tickets" and change the name to whomever will be attending. This is a free, public event but we ask that guests who are no longer able to attend to please cancel their tickets so others may register and get an accurate count of attendees.

Are there ID requirements or an age limit to enter the event?

The event is for all ages. Children are welcome as long as they are accompanied by a responsible, adult guardian at all times. All guests are required to abide by Spurlock Museum's Visitor Code of Conduct.

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