Novel wealth of Ryukyu research group
Egypt of the Tsuboya
Welcoming designers Kazunori Kitahara and Lily Kumachan as guests of the New Ryukyu Wealth Study Group, we will present the results of our research on Ryukyu classic pottery produced by potters in Tsuboya from the Taisho period to the early Showa period, incorporating contemporary perspectives.
Looking around at the people involved in Ryukyuan classical pottery, the planners, instructors, viewers, and purchasers, other than the potters of Tsuboya, are almost all from outside of the prefecture. Coincidentally, the theme of the 2024 Venezia Biennale is “Foreigners Everywhere."" It focused on expressions that had been left out of the existing art framework, and in particular, there were notable exhibits from regions positioned as the Global South, as well as craft-like expressions.
By applying this perspective, the exhibition takes a fresh look at Ryukyuan classical pottery, which continued to be produced despite criticism from Muneyoshi Yanagi, who promoted the folk art movement, and explores the mystery of the sudden appearance of Egypt in Tsuboya by following its transition.
Cooperation: Naha City Tsuboya Pottery Museum, Kyoto Newspaper Printing Co.
Exhibition hall
Ogimi Village Former Shioya Elementary School 538 Shioya, Ogimi Village, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa
ARTIST
Novel wealth of Ryukyu research group
This research group aims to reconsider Okinawan arts and crafts from a contemporary perspective, 85 years after “Ryukyu's Wealth” was written by Muneyoshi Yanagi in 1939, who was fascinated by Okinawan culture.
The group is led by Takahiro Kaneshima, SCAPe Associate Professor of Art at Kanazawa College of Art, Eiji Hatanaka (Professor at Kyoto City University of Arts), who supervised the doctoral thesis, and Yuka Kurasawa (currently a researcher at the Agency for Cultural Affairs) and Azumi Kitawaki (currently a curator at Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture) who studied together in the laboratory.