Cooperative Craft: Artmaking of the Mingei Movement

How can / do you make an effort to appreciate the beauty of objects you use every day? Drawn from the museum’s holdings, “Cooperative Craft: Art of the Mingei Movement” explores the rich history of the Mingei Movement, Japan’s folk craft movement that emerged in the late 1920s. Featuring objects by the five key members of the Movement –– Hamada Shōji (Japan, 1894–1978), Kawai Kanjiro (Japan, 1890–1966), Shimaoka Tatsuzō (Japan, 1919–2007), Bernard Leach (England, 1887–1979) and Minagawa Masu (Japan, 1874–1960) –– alongside works made by ceramicists once known, the exhibition underscores the history of collective Japanese kiln sites. The presentation shows the significant contributions of these five artists during the Mingei Movement, with an eye toward community-embedded agency, highlighting the Movement’s preference for community-based production. What are the benefits of community-based artmaking?

The exhibition also features works by Liu Shiming (China, 1926–2010), whose oeuvre encapsulates many themes similar to 20th-century Mingei’s work, such as an emphasis on cultural tradition and the everyday lives of rural communities. Highlighting the significance of cultural, spiritual and creative exchanges among artists, “Cooperative Craft” encourages us to reflect on this historical period and its contemporary implications in global craft movements today.

“Cooperative Craft: Art of the Mingei Movement” is organized by Windgate Curatorial Fellow Sade Moore and made possible by generous funding from the Windgate Charitable Foundation and the Liu Shiming Art Foundation.