INTO THE WOODS: Okuyamato Craft from Nara
ByJenevieve KokInstallation Image courtesy of BLACK (Singapore), Photo by Studio W
'INTO THE WOODS' is back with their second edition and will be held at LUMINE Singapore from 15 January to 21 February. This year's exhibition is organised by The Nara Prefectural Government, Okuyamato Migration and Exchange Promotion Office. Curated by BLACK (Singapore), the exhibition theme, Okuyamato Craft from Nara, introduces the traditions of Okuyamato; the lives and aspirations of the craftspeople; and the unique stories that have been birthed from this connection.
16 creators and designers will be featured in this exhibition, sharing their work and lives and expressing their hopes of imparting their culture. They often refer fondly to their own experiences living in and with the nature of Okuyamato, and how they are regarded as blessings from the earth.
Their designs are available exclusively online on The Artling!
Image courtesy of BLACK (Singapore), Photo by Studio W
Compote Centrepiece - Indigo - MoonRounds (Takashi Watanabe) (Available on The Artling)
Okuyamato Craft from Nara showcases the possibilities that these makers represent, and how their stories translate into the creation of their crafts and products against the backdrop of the beautiful nature of Okuyamato.
Installation View, Image courtesy of BLACK (Singapore), Photo by Studio W
Yoshino Cypress Log Stool - Morisho Meiboku (Available on The Artling)
Comprising the eastern and southern areas of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan, Okuyamato is home to the highly regarded, centuries-old Yoshino forests. The Yoshino forests are one of the world’s oldest afforestations of a variety of woods such as cypress, cedar, cherry, and horse chestnut. The residents of the region have lived in harmony with nature long before the concept of sustainability entered the public consciousness. Hand-grown in the early 16th century, the Yoshino forests continue to be nurtured and cared for with age-old traditions and techniques.
Image courtesy of BLACK (Singapore), Photo by Studio W
Yoshino Cypress Dumbbell - Morisho Meiboku (Available on The Artling)
Sustaining the forestry industry has been a challenge as residents move to cities and depopulation takes place rapidly. However, Okuyamato’s rich history and legacy has drawn a new generation of craftspeople and food producers to make their homes and livelihoods there in recent years.
The community hopes to advance Okuyamato and the industry by encouraging inter-city exchanges, developing a strong agricultural base with regional collaborations, and elevating local agriculture and livelihoods with agricultural product processing and production.
Image courtesy of BLACK (Singapore), Photo by Studio W
About Nara
Located close to the centre of Japan, in the middle of the Kii Peninsula, Yamato no kuni (Yamato Province) corresponding to present-day Nara prefecture, was the center of politics and culture 1,300 years ago. The prefecture houses a current population of 1.33 million and geographically spans a vertically elongated area of 3,691 square kilometers – about one hundredth of Japan’s total area. Its topography is largely classified under the northern lowlands and southern mountainous regions, with the 300-square kilometres big Nara Basin valley in its center. The northern region of the prefecture promotes tourism, where the Todaiji Great Buddha is one of the three largest Buddha statues in Japan, and the deer of Nara are designated and protected as national natural treasures. While in the south, ‘Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range’ comprising Mt. Yoshino and the Kinpusenji Template are designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Exhibition Dates: 15 January - 21 February 2021
Address: LUMINE Singapore 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, #02-20 The Central, Singapore 059817
Opening Times: 11am - 10pm daily
Click here to browse the full collection!
