Kogei: Traditional Arts and Crafts of Fukushima, Japan

• Duration:Temporary
• Location:Workman Gallery of Asian Cultures

(date) 4/10/2025–11/30/2025

Kogei (工芸) translates to traditional arts and crafts. Arts and crafts include disciplines such as ceramics, textiles, woodworking, lacquerware, papermaking, and other means of artistic expression that involve considerable understanding of traditional methods and techniques. Artisans hone their skills to create objects that are both practical and aesthetically pleasing. Kogei artists and their produced objects are valued for their rich history that reflect intangible cultural heritage spanning hundreds of years, as techniques and processes are passed down from generation to generation. A category of kogei is mingei, (民芸), which translates to “folk crafts,” and is formed from minshu (民衆), meaning common people, and kogei (工芸). Art critic and philosopher Soetsu Yanagi created this term and the mingei movement in the 1920s–1930s to distinguish the value of everyday items made for ordinary use for the common person.

The Kogei exhibition and programming are supported by the Japan Foundation New York through the U.S.-Japan Community Grassroots Exchange Program. Japan House is proud to highlight the traditional arts and crafts of Fukushima and feature the stories of Fukushima. In April 2025, Japan House will be hosting Seiran Chiba, Akie Hashimoto, and Ayako Hirai as visiting artists-in-residence for a series of workshops and programs for the University of Illinois and local community. In Fall 2025, Japan House will host Seiran Chiba, Shinya Terasawa, Masaji Hashimoto, and Hirohisa Saito as visiting artists-in-residence.

The Spurlock Museum acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.