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
-
Watch dance, music and film collide at a unique event at Abbey Road StudiosIn this exclusive film, watch Abbey Road’s first Artist in Residence, Jordan Rakei, collaborate with industry-leading creatives to produce a dance performance in the hallowed Studio One
-
Frances Elkins gets her dues at Christie's this JuneYou can soon take home a piece of the legendary American designer’s legacy…including a $3 million Alberto Giacometti sculpture.
-
The new Phone 2 Pro from CMF combines generous scale with true affordabilityWe explore the ins and outs of the CMF Phone 2 Pro, the newest device from the Nothing sub-brand that focuses on bold design and carefully honed value engineering
-
Meet the Turner Prize 2025 shortlisted artistsNnena Kalu, Rene Matić, Mohammed Sami and Zadie Xa are in the running for the Turner Prize 2025 – here they are with their work
-
The art of the textile label: how British mill-made cloth sold itself to Indian buyersAn exhibition of Indo-British textile labels at the Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) in Bengaluru is a journey through colonial desire and the design of mass persuasion
-
From counter-culture to Northern Soul, these photos chart an intimate history of working-class Britain‘After the End of History: British Working Class Photography 1989 – 2024’ is at Edinburgh gallery Stills
-
Surrealism as feminist resistance: artists against fascism in Leeds‘The Traumatic Surreal’ at the Henry Moore Institute, unpacks the generational trauma left by Nazism for postwar women
-
From activism and capitalism to club culture and subculture, a new exhibition offers a snapshot of 1980s BritainThe turbulence of a colourful decade, as seen through the lens of a diverse community of photographers, collectives and publications, is on show at Tate Britain until May 2025
-
Jasleen Kaur wins the Turner Prize 2024Jasleen Kaur has won the Turner Prize 2024, recognised for her work which reflects upon everyday objects
-
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
