KOSAKU KANECHIKA is pleased to show a presentation of works by Takuro Kuwata and Noritaka Tatehana, two internationally acclaimed Japanese artists, for the inaugural edition of Art SG in 2023. At the forefront of Japanese contemporary art rooted in traditional craft, both artists create singular work that feature vivid colors and contemporary form while maintaining a firm focus on traditional aesthetic ideas and techniques.

Takuro Kuwata has been rapidly expanding the possibilities of ceramic art, creating works of an unparalled nature that have been exhibited globally in Brussels, London, and New York. Kuwata’s contemporary visual language, which utilizes techniques of traditional Japanese pottery such as kairagi and ishihaze in an original manner, has garnered international acclaim. Situated at the heart of Japanese ceramic artistry, Kuwata’s studio in the Mino region of Gifu retains history and techniques dating back to feudal Japan. Inheriting the traditional tea-ceremony aesthetic of wabi-sabi, imperfect beauty and natural forms are celebrated in the preservation of a rustic, unrefined elegance. Through dialogue with the environment, history, nature, and time, Kuwata fuses together elements of tradition and modernity.

Noritaka Tatehana presents a never-before-seen perspective and worldview by combining elements of traditional Japanese culture with values of the contemporary world. His carefully honed artistry is elegantly expressed throughout his various media. Nurturing the sensitivities of a rich history, mythology, and innovation, the works of Tatehana burst with his potential and hopes for the future. He is renowned for his work titled “Heel-less Shoes,” which is inspired by the elevated wooden clogs worn by traditional Japanese courtesans and attracted global recognition since being worn by Lady Gaga. To date, his works have been collected by institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

The presentation will consist of 24 works by the two artists.