The Past and Future of Kogei: Talk, Reception & Pop Up Exhibition 

Japan Society’s October 7 Living Traditions talk has been postponed because of a schedule change. We look forward to presenting this event at a later date, with updated details coming soon.

This is a free event. RSVP for free admission to this talk, reception and exhibition. This event is part of Japan Society’s annual Living Traditions event series, focused on celebrating Japan’s traditional arts.

Artisans, especially those who engage in kogei (traditional crafts), construct the essence of Japanese culture. Kogei are handmade, regional products produced from raw materials collected according to traditional practices and manufactured using traditional techniques which play an important role in daily life. However, with changing lifestyles and technologies, it is getting difficult to maintain kogei culture and the skilled artists who have dedicated their lives to it, and the recent Noto Peninsula Earthquake further deeply impacted many kogei artists.

This event will discuss kogei and its history, evolution and future through a 60-minute in-depth discussion with noted kogei experts and a rare in-person visit from a kogei artist from Japan. After the discussion, it will feature a reception in which attendees are encouraged to interact with our panelists and view a pop up exhibition which will feature examples of kogei arts, including kogei from regions affected by the Noto Earthquake.

Featuring

Keiji Onihira is an urushi (lacquer) artist who was born in 1973 in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture. He is a member of the Japan Kogei Association and Wajima Lacquerware Techniques Preservation Society, an organization dedicated to preserving Important Intangible Cultural Properties. At the age of 18, Onihira began his apprenticeship under the renowned maki-e (a technique focused on applying metallic powder to wet lacquer) master Sadahisa Kumano. After completing the maki-e course at the Ishikawa Prefectural Wajima Lacquer Arts Training Institute, Onihira’s work has been selected multiple times for exhibitions such as the Exhibition of Japanese Traditional Urushi Works and the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition. Onihira has also taken part in cultural human resource development initiatives organized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, particularly in the field of maki-e production. In 2023, he became a member of the Wajima Lacquerware Techniques Preservation Society, where he continues to work towards preserving the traditional techniques of maki-e. He has received the Asahi Shimbun Prize at the Exhibition of Japanese Traditional Urushi Works, the Mayor of Kanazawa Award at the Ishikawa Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition, the Public Recognition Prize at the Ishikawa Prefecture Culture Awards and more.

Top Image: Keiji Onihira (b. 1973). Gekko Ichiro (Moonlight Road), 2019. Box with Design in Raised Maki-e and Raden. Wood, gold powder, mother-of-pearl, urushi lacquer. h. 8 1/2 x w. 8 7/8 x d. 6 1/8 in. (21.5 x 22.6 x 15.6 cm)

The Living Traditions series is co-presented with the Japan Institute of Portland Japanese Garden and supported by the Government of Japan. Additional support for this program is provided by Kogei USA.

Japan Society programs are supported by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Additional support for cultural programs is provided by an anonymous donor and the Sandy Heck Lecture Fund.