In connection with the “Japan handmade: Crafts & Design from Kyoto” exhibition, which is now on display at the Japan Foundation (27 Quang Trung, Hoan Kiem) in Hanoi, three distinguished Japanese experts arrived yesterday to deliver their lectures and workshops on design and crafts  at the Vietnam Designer House (161A, Hai Ba Trung, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City).

During these lectures and workshops, more than 80 participants, including mostly design students as well as professional designers, were deeply impressed by the sharing of information about handmade Japanese designs.

Noriko Kawakami, a design journalist and associate director of 21_21 Design Sight (one of the best design galleries in Japan) delivered her lecture on “Traditional craft and contemporary design in Japan” to share her view on what is happening at the meeting point of craft and design in Japan.

After that, Masataka Hosoo, a brand director of Hosoo Co,. Ltd and a member of the 12th generation of the Hosoo family, one of the oldest manufactures of Nishijin textiles, introduced his attempts to bring “local” crafts to the “global” market through a lecture titled “Kyoto’s new tradition – Nishijin textile and metal knitting”.

Moreover, he also provided information about Go On group, a collection of five young artisans in Kyoto that is trying to promote the differences between Japanese traditional craft beauty, especially in Kyoto, and what is usually found on the world market.

At last, Toru Tsuji, a metal knitting artisan and owner of Kodaiji Kanaami-Tsuji, as well as one of the founders of Go On, demonstrated how to make a tofu server with mental knitting during his workshop with 10 selected participants.

The series of events entitled “Japan Handmade: Crafts & Design from Kyoto” in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is organized by the Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam, in cooperation with Hanoi University of Industrial Fine Arts, the Consulate General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City, and Vietnam Design House, as a part of celebration of the Japan – Vietnam Friendship Year 2013.