MONO JAPAN ONLINE ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM 2020-2021
Stichting MONO JAPAN intends to move its Artist In Residence (AIR) program for designers / artists in The Netherlands and traditional craftspeople / artisans in Japan to a digital platform.
Rather than in physical co-presence, the Dutch and Japanese participants of the program will hold their meetings online. MONO JAPAN will edit and publish documentaries of the video recordings of the digital encounters.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
MONO JAPAN ONLINE AIR is a project with new challenges, as research, discussions and the creation of prototype products will take place digitally only. MONO JAPAN brings together Dutch participants who are keen to learn about the Japanese way of working with various materials, with Japanese partners who apply centuries-old craft techniques.
We have selected 2 Japanese partners to launch this ONLINE AIR program. Our first partner is a mud dye textile maker and our second partner consists of three organizations centered around bamboo crafts. The MONO JAPAN ONLINE AIR will be held from October 2020 to April 2021.
Paul Beumer (Artist)
&
Yukihito Kanai (Artist, Mud Dye Craftsman)
Paul Beumer is a Dutch artist working with dying techniques on barkcloth, cotton and paper. He has widely travelled in Asia and also stayed in Japan for several months. Paul's artwork integrates Asian elements in his recognizable modern European textile techniques. MONO JAPAN is looking forward to hosting the collaboration of Paul Beumer who will work with the artisan Yukihito Kanai on ancient Japanese techniques of mud dye.
Yukihito Kanai is the owner and chief dyer at the Kanai Mudding Works in Amami Ohshima, in Western Japan. Their craft - dorozome – is a traditional and natural method of muddying typically used to create the dark colors of kimono silks for Amami Ohshima Tsumugi (handwoven) Silk.
Kanai Mudding Works joined the MONO JAPAN fair in 2017. They attracted a wide public. Yukihito held workshops of mud dye with their fermented mud from the island. It was the first time that the mud had been put to use outside Japan in more than 1300 years of the history of Amami’s mud dye. Thanks to the MONO JAPAN event a BBC television crew followed up with a visit to Amami and film Kanai Mudding Works.
Yukihito and the studio work with Japanese apparel makers. He, himself an artist working with natural materials, looks forward to working with Paul online.
Studio Nienke Hoogvliet (Design studio)
&
Chikara Kojima (Bamboo crafts Artist )
with Yufu-City, Ōita Prefecture, Japan
Studio Nienke Hoogvliet is a design studio for material research, experimental and conceptual design. The studio consists of the founder Nienke Hoogvliet and Tim Jongerius. The studio’s zero-waste idea in selecting materials is congenial with the use of material in Japanese traditional crafts. MONO JAPAN, therefore, thinks that Studio Nienke Hoogvliet and the Japanese partners, can inspire each other with new insights of what can be done with sustainable bamboo materials.
Chikara Kojima’s work focuses on traditional dyeing and braiding techniques in Oita prefecture. He is actively incorporating modelling that makes the best use of the characteristics of each
material by combining materials other than bamboo, and is engaged in activities that go beyond the frameworks of general bamboo crafts.
He is the instructor of Tsukumi City Bamboo Crafts Class since 2016 in his hometown, Tsukumi City and gives lectures for the Tsukumi Bamboo Craft club. He also lectures at employment support facilities in Oita Prefecture to engage in activities to protect handcrafts made of domestic bamboo, where the craftsmen are ageing rapidly without successors.
Taking advantage of his experience as a musician before learning bamboo craftsmanship, he is also a musician and a performer. He served as Oita representative of the bamboo creative musical instrument group "Takerin Resonance Project" in Kitakyushu City. He is active in both bamboo musical instrument production and performance.
In Collaboration with Oita City, Japan
Local coordinator, Toshihiko Nishida
Oita is famous for being surrounded by rich nature, its hot springs and its bamboo crafts. The city government, worried by its declining population, wants to support the traditional bamboo trade and maintain the artisanship of bamboo techniques, typically used to make household accessories. The city reacted positively to MONO JAPAN’s proposal to participate in the ONLINE AIR program, and to match a modern Dutch design studio with bamboo specialists from Oita to enhance international collaboration.
Outcome
The process of this digital collaboration is made into short films and is available on MONO JAPAN Amsterdam MJ ONLINE AIR youtube playlist for everyone to watch. Check and be inspired!
MONO JAPAN ONLINE AIR PROGRAM is supported by the Creative Industries Fund NL and The Embassy of The Kingdom of The Netherlands.
Stichting MONO JAPAN functions as an active platform moderator in establishing new Dutch-Japanese creative partnerships.
For more information please feel free to contact us: info@monojapan.nl