Atelier Densan comes to London
Atelier Densan Store in Tokyo
wagumi hosts a rare UK showing of Japan's officially recognised craft traditions, for London Design Festival
To coincide with London Design Festival, wagumi in the Oxo Tower will host a specially curated selection of work from Atelier Densan. It will be a rare UK opportunity to see items from the 244 officially recognised craft traditions of Japan.
Photo by Akira Suemori
A mark of quality
Across Japan, techniques passed through generations continue to shape everyday objects. Cataloguing, preserving and championing this work falls to the Densan programme: only crafts and craftspeople that meet the rigorous examination of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry can carry the Densan designation. For the Dentō Kōgei-shi (designated craftspeople) who receive it, the mark is a point of pride. For collectors who find it, it's a guarantee of standard.
Kokeshi Dolls
The foremost place to encounter this work is Atelier Densan's gallery and shop in Tokyo, rarely seen outside Japan. This September, that changes.
Photo by Akira Suemori
"The Densan mark is known as a mark of quality in Japan, and it is exciting to see it make the journey to London," says Ryoko Mutasono, director of Lives London Limited and curator of the Densan showcase for LDF. "More than just exquisite quality, it also signifies a commitment to uphold and update the traditions of craft in Japan that have sustained a richness in life — not just for old samurai-era elites, but for people in their homes."
What's on show
The selection at wagumi spans lacquerware from the Aizu-nuri tradition, thick, brightly patterned washi paper from Toyama, and the hard, unglazed stoneware of Bizen, alongside ceramics, textiles, metalwork and woodcraft from further afield. Each piece carries the terroir of its region — the local materials, and the hands that shaped them.
Photo by Akira Suemori
The showcase brings together 75 makers from across Japan, spanning 50 traditional craft categories, each rooted in a specific region. wagumi and Atelier Densan hope the pop-up will introduce a wider London audience to the depth of skill within the Densan canon, and to the regions that depend on it.
wagumi, Unit 1.09 Oxo Tower Wharf, Barge House Street, London SE1 9PH
wagumi-j.com