From Thursday, July 1, to Monday, August 16, the first floor of the Wakabayashi Buddhist Altar and Accessories Workshop Kyoto Main Store will host “Re:DISCOVER,” an exhibition showcasing works inspired by the techniques of Kyoto’s traditional crafts, “Kyoto Buddhist Altars and Accessories.”
This second installment of the exhibition focuses on the “decorative techniques” employed by artisans of Kyoto Buddhist altars and accessories.
The craftsmanship of Kyoto Buddhist altars and accessories encompasses a wide range of disciplines, including woodworking, lacquerwork, and metalwork, allowing for the creative combination of materials and techniques to produce a diverse array of products. A “base” made of wood or metal is finished using various “decorative techniques” such as lacquering, gold leaf application, maki-e, and metal inlay, adding further value to the piece.
We view this “decorative technique” as a key feature and are actively pursuing collaborations with other production regions. For this exhibition, we applied our decorative techniques to the “KAKEHASHI SERIES,” which is produced in Asahikawa, Hokkaido—a region renowned for furniture manufacturing. Since manufacturing in Kyoto is based on custom orders and small-batch production, mass production is not possible. By combining the mass production capabilities of other regions with the decorative techniques mastered by artisans of Kyoto Buddhist altars and ritual implements, we aim to create products that bring out the best of both mass production and handcrafted work.
In addition to this series, we will have many other products on display and for sale that showcase our decorative techniques. We invite you to discover the “different facets” of these products created through our decorative techniques.
In addition, we will be displaying the actual tools used by artisans in the eight core crafts of Kyoto Buddhist altar making: woodworking, carving, lacquering, wax coloring, metalwork, gold leafing, maki-e, and painting. These well-worn tools have marked the passage of time alongside the artisans and have continued to support their craftsmanship. We hope that through these tools, you will gain an appreciation for the skills and time the artisans have dedicated to their craft.
＜Exhibition Overview＞
Re：DISCOVER vol.2 “ANOTHER FACE”
Dates: Thursday, July 1, 2021 – Monday, August 16, 2021
Hours: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Closed: Wednesdays
Location: Wakabayashi Buddhist Altarware Workshop, Kyoto Main Store, 1st Floor (Shichijo-dori Shinmachi Higashi-iru, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto)
Inquiries: 075-371-3131
Graphic Design: Yoshiki Uchida (cosmos)
Re : DISCOVER
A Place to Rediscover the Charm of Kyoto’s Traditional Crafts
Kyoto Buddhist altars and ritual implements are often referred to as a “comprehensive art of craftsmanship.” Because they are created through a wide range of disciplines—including woodworking, lacquerwork, and metalwork—they offer the potential to produce a diverse array of products. To capitalize on this unique characteristic, we have actively pursued collaborations with creators and craft communities across Japan in recent years.
To showcase the products born from these initiatives, we hold “Re:DISCOVER” on an irregular basis. We present new facets of craftsmanship discovered through collaborations with creators and other craft regions as items that blend seamlessly into modern life. We hope you, too, will “rediscover” the charm of traditional crafts.
Re：DISCOVER vol.1 “INHERENT:PATTERN BY Kaori Akiyama”
https://www.wakabayashi.co.jp/en/information/210201en/
KAKEHASHI SERIES
The “KAKEHASHI SERIES” is a new original brand of Buddhist altars launched by Wakabayashi Buddhist Altar Manufacturing, a manufacturer of Buddhist altars and accessories founded in Kyoto in 1830. When people hear the word “Buddhist altar,” many still picture the traditional gold-lacquered altars of old. Whether coordinating one with your room or searching for one at an interior design shop, we produce our altars in Asahikawa, Hokkaido—one of Japan’s five major furniture-producing regions—so that Buddhist altars can be viewed as an integral part of your home furnishings.
As its name suggests, the “KAKEHASHI SERIES” serves as a bridge connecting all things. It connects you with your loved ones and bridges thoughts and culture from the past to the future. It was created with the hope that people would incorporate into their daily lives a space and time to simply join their hands and feel a sense of connection, free from the constraints of specific Buddhist altar styles, decoration, or religious traditions.
https://www.wakabayashi.co.jp/en/project/kakehashi_vol1/
