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Mingei

Mingei

Art Without Heroes

Edited by Roisin Inglesby

Contributions by Roisin Inglesby, Yuko Kikuchi, Dasom Sung, Anna Jackson, Aaron Angell, Sam Thorne, Adam Sutherland, Okazaki Manami, Yoshizawa Tomo and Naomi Pollock

Imprint: Yale University Press

168 Pages, 215.00 x 269.00 mm, 121 color illus.

Hardcover

Hardcover
9780300274288
Published: 26 March 2024

£35.00

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Praise

An exploration of the evolution of the Japanese Mingei (folk art) movement within the context of today’s concerns

Originating in Japan in the 1920s, the Mingei movement was based on the principle that beauty is inherent in handmade, everyday objects created by anonymous craftspeople. Spearheaded by the philosopher Yanagi Sōetsu, and potters Hamada Shōji and Bernard Leach, the movement sought to elevate the status of folk craft in a rapidly modernising society.

This richly-illustrated book covers a wide range of objects associated with Mingei, from ceramics and furniture to textiles and toys, alongside a series of profiles of leading designers and makers working in Japan today. Contributors from a variety of backgrounds explore Mingei’s origins, interpretations and contemporary implications, shedding new light on the ways in which the principles of the movement remain relevant to today’s personal, social and environmental concerns.

Exhibition Schedule:

William Morris Gallery, London
(March 23, 2024–September 22, 2024)

Roisin Inglesby is curator at the William Morris Gallery. Yuko Kikuchi is head of academic programmes at the V&A. Dasom Sung is assistant curator of Korean Arts, and Anna Jackson is keeper of the Asia Department, both at the V&A. Okazaki Manami is an independent writer and curator. Sam Thorne is director general and CEO of Japan House, London. Naomi Pollock is an American architect who writes about design in Japan. Aaron Angell is a ceramic artist and director of Troy Town Pottery, London. Adam Sutherland is director of Grizedale Arts. Yoshizawa Tomo is a writer and cultural translator

“The book presents an original and valuable contribution to the understanding of mingei, speaking for the relevance of its ideas in the face of today’s societal challenges.”—Liliana Morais, Crafts

“[Mingei] brings out the debt that modernist design owes to vernacular craft in Japan.”—Tanya Harrod, Apollo

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