Japanese Contemporary Design & Craft

A selection discovered by AMEICO showcases traditional and contemporary work by a variety of designers and manufacturers throughout Japan. Also shown, for the first time in the U.S., the monumental political poster Sheltered Weaklings, designed by Takashi Kono (1906-1999) in 1953 at the height of the cold war.

AMEICO’s long love of the Japanese aesthetic and its centuries-old tradition of craftsmanship has led to our keen interest in Japanese contemporary design: How do today’s Japanese masters adapt the highly perfected traditional crafts and forms to reveal a new interpretation? How are ancient materials and techniques combined to say something new without compromising the beauty found in the age-old objects? The truth we gleaned from our numerous travels to the various regions of Japan is that new design is continually evolving respectfully out of the old, re-interpreted fresh new ways--here we present to you a highly edited collection of contemporary objects in various materials, from the island of Kyushu in the south up to the most northern part of Honshu.