material research from rural Japan

We conduct research on materials by focusing on the relationship between people and the objects before them. Trees, for example, do not grow simply to become timber, nor do stones exist merely to serve as stoneworks. They simply exist in their own way, living out their own time. People have come to recognize these objects as materials by discovering connections between them and their own lives, bodies, and imaginations.

In our village, where traditional ways of life endure, the wisdom of recognizing and utilizing the materials right before our eyes is still alive today. At the same time, as lifestyles change, this wisdom is gradually being lost. While we strive to learn this traditional wisdom, we make a point of not merely recreating the forms of the past, but of interpreting them through a contemporary lens. Sometimes guided by the materials themselves, we think with our hands and eyes, exploring the nature and background of objects, as well as the expressive possibilities that arise from them.

In addition to objects and spacial installation, some results are published under the label between in between.

collaboration

We engage in research and production through spontaneous collaborations with designers and artists from around the world. With access to a hand-held sawmill, woodworking machinery, basic papermaking equipment, and a printing device on-site, we produce our work locally to minimize transportation and logistics costs. Due to the geographical constraints of our location in a remote village, collaborations are currently by invitation only; however, designers, artists, and researchers interested in the materials we’ve collected are welcome to contact us.

from the mountains

We place great importance on not merely confining the materials we encounter in the mountains and villages to our own creative and research spaces, but on opening them up to a broader context. In addition to participating in exhibitions internationally, we actively engage in research-based projects that draw on the insights gained from our work in the forests.

→ commissioned works

editions & products

Given the nature of our work—which begins with materials we happen to acquire—many of our pieces are collectible pieces. However, since the continued use of certain material (particularly sugi, hinoki, and kozo) contributes to forest health, we are also working to transform materials that are reliably available into reproducible products. We also strive to make our work widely accessible by producing limited editions of certain pieces.

→ inquiries about our works