Inoue Manji (b. 1929, Living National Treasure), Hakuji (white porcelain) Spiral Vase, 2023, porcelain; David Stanley Hewett (b.1967), EN 6, 2023, Kanazawa gold leaf on canvas, 25 5/8 x 25 5/8 in. (65 x 65 cm)
Inoue Manji / David Stanley Hewett
KOGEI and Art
March 14 – 22, 2024
Asia Week Hours: Mar 14-16 & 18-22, 10am-5pm (otherwise by appointment)
Opening Receptions: Thursday, March 14, 5-8pm
521 West 26th Street
In celebration of Asia Week New York 2024, we are pleased to be presenting two exhibitions – Inoue Manji / David Stanley Hewett celebrating Living National Treasure Inoue Manji and Japan based artist David Stanley Hewett and KOGEI and Art, marking the inauguration of KOGEI USA, a non-profit dedicated to the revitalization of Japan’s world-famous KOGEI (art crafts).
In Inoue Manji / David Stanley Hewett, the two artists’ practices convey contrasting aspects of Japanese visual expression. Inoue Manji—a “Living National Treasure” and the embodiment of his country’s dedication to traditional philosophies, materials, and techniques—uses the purity of hakuji (white porcelain) to create works that offer a new perspective on Japanese minimalism, while David Stanley Hewett, an American living in Japan, works in the medium of finest Japanese gold leaf applied to canvas or wood, preserving and re-imagining a heritage of gorgeous decoration with its roots in elite samurai culture.
Nakagawa Mamoru (b. 1947), Living National Treasure, Yubae (Sunset’s Glow), 2013, Vase; cast alloy of copper, silver, and tin with inlays of copper, silver, and gold, H7 1/2 x W12 5/8 x D5 1/2 in. (19 x 32 x 14 cm)
Originally coined to translate the word “craft,” today the term KOGEI has a higher significance, denoting works that, even at their most innovative, use materials and methods that have stood the test of time and reflect an unrivalled dedication to technical perfection and refinement, from generation to generation over many centuries. Works in this exhibition include those in ceramics, metal, and lacquer by both well-established artists and newcomers to the field. Alongside masterpieces by “Living National Treasures” such as Imaizumi Imaemon XIV, Nakagawa Mamoru, Ōsumi Yukie, and Murose Kazumi, the exhibition includes recent work by Rusu Aki and Konno Tomoko, two younger women who are building international reputations with sculptural pieces that combine technical rigor with an inventive approach to materials and processes.
These two exhibitions mark the inauguration of KOGEI USA, a nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing Japan’s world-famous KOGEI (art crafts) under the banner Securing Our Heritage, Nurturing Our Traditions, Building Our Futures. The exhibitions promotes one of KOGEI USA’s key goals: the formation of new creative links between Japanese and non-Japanese masters who share a passion for preserving and handing on the best traditional hand-made arts.
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