ASIA WEEK NEW YORK EXHIBITION
Kawai Kanjirō, Dish with motif of hand and flower on white ground, 1951. Collection of Kawai Kanjirō House. Photo courtesy of Kawai Kanjirō House
Kawai Kanjirō: House to House
March 10 – May 10, 2026
Opening Reception: Wednesday, March 18 at 5pm (kindly RSVP)
Kawai Kanjirō’s Way of Tea Talk & Tea Ceremony: Thursday, March 19 at 10am, 11:30am, 1pm
JASA Annual Lecture: Sunday, March 22 at 11am
Gallery After Hours: Tuesday, March 31 at 6pm
We are pleased to present Kawai Kanjirō: House to House, a solo exhibition celebrating the remarkable life and career of folk potter, poet, and artist Kawai Kanjirō (1890–1966) for the first time in the United States. Kawai is best known for his influential role in the mingei (folk art) movement in Japan, which he founded in the mid-1920s with his friends, the philosopher Yanagi Sōetsu (1889–1961) and the potter Hamada Shōji (1894–1978). Showcasing representative works from Kawai’s personal collection that are rarely seen outside his former home (now a museum known as the Kawai Kanjirō House), the exhibition traces the evolution from the artist’s early functional ceramic ware to his late-career modernist wood sculptures. From the Kawai Kanjirō House in Kyoto to Japan House in NYC, House to House explores Kawai’s profound impact on modern art in Japan and beyond.
We look forward to welcoming you to our exhibition and related programs soon during Asia Week New York!
To learn more, click here.
PAST RELATED EVENT
Image: Courtesy of Kawai Kanjirō’s House
Kawai Kanjirō: House to House Documentary Premiere
Screening and Panel Discussion
Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 7pm
Tickets: $25 Non-members; $20 Seniors/Students; $15 Members
We warmly invite you to the world premiere of the documentary film Kawai Kanjirō: House to House. The film chronicles the making of Japan Society’s spring exhibition, Kawai Kanjirō: House to House, the first US solo exhibition of the renowned folk potter, poet, and artist Kawai Kanjirō (1890–1966), and the first time Kawai’s personal collection has been shown outside of Japan. In celebration of the milestone exhibition, the documentary features views of the Kawai Kanjirō House (the artist’s home, studio and climbing kiln) in Kyoto, scenes of the neighborhoods surrounding both the Kawai House and Japan House (home to Japan Society), glimpses of curatorial meetings, interviews with young potters in Kyoto and New York, and footage of the opening events at Japan Society.
After the screening, join the exhibition curators, Michele Bambling, Japan Society Gallery Director, and Tamae Sagi, Curator, Kawai Kanjirō House, for a panel discussion. They will be joined by special guest Monika Bincsik, Diane and Arthur Abbey Curator for Japanese Decorative Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and curator of the exhibition The Infinite Artistry of Japanese Ceramics (open through August 8, 2027). The three curators will discuss Kawai Kanjirō’s pioneering work and enduring legacy.
To learn more and purchase tickets, click here.
