Crafts, Places

A local crafts exhibition wins the Good Design Award 2019

About two years ago I visited Echizen with my parents, specifically to buy lacquerware from Shitsurindo (漆琳堂). Talking to the owner and successor of the family business we heard about all of the other crafts people in the region and I remember how it felt like a movement was about to happen.

I purchased products from Shitsurindo‘s “aisomo cosomo” collections shown above.
What I like about the “aisomo cosomo” collection is the unusual color play that you don’t see often in lacquerware (usually red or black).
Shitsurindo‘s 8th generation successor, Toru Uchida.

Two years later the Renew Fukui crafts exhibition, of which Shitsurindo has been a crucial part of, has won the 2019 Good Design Award. The exhibition itself takes part this weekend, October 12 – 14 from 10am – 5pm. They even have this beautiful map of all the places you can visit:

A selection of the crafts that you can see up close:

Lacquer tumblers by Tsuchinao
Beautiful woodware with a light coat of lacquer keeping the wood grains visible. By Tsuchinao.
Washi business cards by Shinyosha.
Shinyosha craftsman at work.
Wood trays by Inoue Taku Wood Works
Behind the scenes of Inoue Taku Wood Works