The reverence for craftsmen in Japanese culture has contributed to the longevity of Japanese craft traditions. Central to the Japanese craft ethos is the connection between the artisan and the material, a process that begins with the discerning selection of materials. The works on view highlight two time-honored techniques: takeami basket weaving and tagamono woodcraft.

Seventh-generation master-woodcrafter and artist, Shuji Nakagawa Mokkougei carries on the finest tradition of wood-crafting from the region of Kyoto. Techniques passed on from father to son are embodied in Nakagawa-San’s contemporary iterations of the Ki-Oke, the Japanese wooden bucket. The artisans use tagamono, the process of fastening wooden slats in a circle using a hoop called a taga and shaving the slats with a block plane until they become a single, unified object.

Takeami, bamboo basket weaving, dates back as far as the 14th-Century as a venerated craft tradition in Japan. Aspiring weavers would spend years learning under the guidance of master artisans. The meticulous nature of the craft begins with the harvesting, processing, and splicing of the bamboo. A strong, yet lightweight and flexible material, the artisan explores the bounds of the material through intricate plaiting and weaving techniques. The antique woven pieces embody the Japanese culture of meticulous work and craftsmanship heritage that honors the time, dedication, and detailed simplicity of craft.

The exhibition is supplemented by photographs by Mike Mager's "Shokunin: Japan's Vanishing Masters" that documents contemporary craftsmen in Japan.