It's inspired by Asia’s mythical moon rabbit, but don’t be discouraged if you can’t get to grips with the full part-Japanese name of usagiと_ paris. Those in the know just call it ‘usagi’. This new interdisciplinary space, designed by Sou Fujimoto, is dedicated to art and exchange, and has contemporary Japanese culture at its heart. Established to showcase a wide range of creative talent through designer-artist collaborations and collector editions, usagi is the latest new hot spot to open on the Right Bank, in a quiet courtyard on rue Notre Dame de Nazareth.
The brainchild of Michiko Horie, usagi comprises a contemporary art gallery, boutique and tea salon. Having lived in Paris for more than 15 years, the new venture’s Japanese director sees the location as a gateway to Paris’ third arrondissement – an area buzzing with new energy while still being culturally diverse.
Fujimoto’s design of the space washes the building’s original materials with swathes of white. Configured in a U-shape, the three spaces merge into one, with the exhibition and event space continuously adapting with solo shows, carte blanche exhibitions, performances or lectures. The inaugural show comes courtesy of French duo Christophe Berdaguer and Marie Péjus. Following this will be Laëtitia Badaut Haussmann’s investigation of Charlotte Perriand and her ‘Kyoto phantoms’, who will haunt the gallery throughout the coming months. The primarily Franco-Japanese programming of usagi is being overseen by curator Julien Arnaud.
The boutique gives an outlet to up and coming young designers such as Salvy, Yasutoshi Ezumi and KIKOF. As the space becomes established, Horie also plans to give a platform to international designers and traditional artisans from Kyoto and establish usagi’s own collection of contemporary products. For now, however, artist and illustrator Philippe Dufour-Loriolle has designed his first original limited edition series of sweatshirts, made from a fabric manufactured in Tokyo for the store.
Above all, usagi hopes to provide a welcoming atmosphere. In keeping with Japan’s meticulous tea ceremony traditions, young Japanese chef Mikiko Kanno (who honed her skills at the Grand Hôtel du Lion d’Or) is masterminding the salon’s seasonally changing menu, fusing Franco-Japanese flavours with more formal creativity. Atsushi Tanaka (of restaurant A.T) will also create guest dishes on a regular basis.
usagiと_ paris will open officially on 29 January 2016 – overseen, of course, by the mythical moon rabbit.
The space's inaugural show comes courtesy of French duo Christophe Berdaguer and Marie Péjus.
The building is swathed in white – a blank canvas for the multitude of exhibitions, displays and performances that will be staged here, overseen by curator by Julien Arnaud (pictured).
Above all, usagi aims to produce a welcoming atmosphere in one of Paris' most culturally diverse and lively districts. In keeping with Japan’s meticulous tea ceremony traditions, young Japanese chef Mikiko Kanno is masterminding the salon’s seasonally changing menu.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit usagiと_ paris’ website (coming soon)
Photography courtesy
usagiと_ paris
ADDRESS
usagiと_ paris
60 Rue Notre Dame de Nazareth
75003 Paris, France
-
The artistry of Japanese wineFine wine from Japan may not yet register highly on the radars of most oenophiles, but for those who know, it's a hugely rewarding and rich tapestry of flavour. Drinks expert, Neil Ridley visits London's Luna Omakase for the launch of a new dedicated Japanese wine pairing menu
-
In Los Angeles, Darling doesn’t want to be your average dinner spotVinyl, live-fire cooking, and California’s finest ingredients come together in this immersive new concept from a celebrated Southern chef
-
Ashlyn, the quietly romantic New York label from a Yohji Yamamoto alumnaThe focus of our latest Uprising column, Seoul-born Ashlyn Park worked for fashion greats before starting her own label in 2020. Showing her S/S 2026 collection at NYFW yesterday, she talks to Wallpaper* about marrying Japanese influences with the romance of Parisian savoir-faire
-
Ones to Watch: Plaster Paris Studio unites brutalism and bohemiaDesigners Tessa Rose Vardy and Olivia Engelhardt draw inspiration from the urban landscape of Paris and the laidback warmth of the Balearics
-
New furniture from Maiden Home elevates elemental materials through unique designFinely crafted and exquisitely formed, the New York furniture brand’s latest designs find their perfect showcase at a modernist Californian home
-
Wallpaper* USA 400: The people shaping Creative America in 2025Our annual look at the talents defining the country’s creative landscape right now
-
Workstead's lanterns combine the richness of silk with a warm glowAn otherworldly lamp collection, the Lantern series by Workstead features raw silk shades and nostalgic silhouettes in three designs
-
Can creativity survive in the United States?We asked three design powerhouses to weigh in on this political moment
-
Murray Moss: 'We must stop the erosion of our 250-year-old American culture'Murray Moss, the founder of design gallery Moss and consultancy Moss Bureau, warns of cultural trauma in an authoritarian state
-
Fossils, shells and sea-life inspire Shaha Raphaël’s limited edition collection for House of Today, begging the question; 'Is it found, or is it designed?'In Shaha Raphaël's ‘Low Tide – Marée basse’ exhibition for House of Today, Lebanese craftsmanship meets Mediterranean spirit, blurring the boundaries between art, jewellery and collectible design
-
‘You can feel their presence’: step inside the Eameses’ Pacific Palisades residenceCharles and Ray Eames’ descendants are exploring new ways to preserve the designers’ legacy, as the couple’s masterpiece Pacific Palisades residence reopens following the recent LA fires
