Japanese Ceramic Vases: Symbolism and Usage

Ceramic vases in Japan play a key role in the aesthetic and spiritual culture of the country. Beyond being extremely decorative objects, they are supports for an assertive artistic expression, not...

Japanese Lacquer Boxes: Objects of Art and Tradition

Japanese society is renowned for its meticulous attention to detail and rituals, which explains the diversity and beauty of precious Japanese boxes. Among these treasures, urushi lacquer boxes st...

LACQUER, GOLD AND TEA CEREMONY: THE SECRETS OF JAPANESE NATSUME

The beauty of exceptional Japanese craftsmanship is concentrated in a single object that fits in the palm of your hand: jet-black urushi lacquer with a multitude of layers applied week after week, ...

SUNGWOO CHOI'S LEAF ART

Sung Woo Choi's leaf spoons, made from wood patiently carved in his workshop in the north of Seoul, fill us with wonder: they touch something deep inside us, a graceful object that doesn't even nee...

IN PRAISE OF THE SHADOW: JUNICHIRO TANIZAKI'S JAPAN

In Japan, the main aim will be to block out natural light, which will then only be indirect, diffused, attenuated, precarious and transformed by the 'obstacles' it encounters along the way.

The art of Korean pojagi wrapping

Atelier Ikiwa is committed to skillfully wrapping your purchases in delicate fabrics that we bring back from our travels to Seoul, thus allowing the subtle and wonderful art of pojagi, Korean wrapp...

MONO NO AWARE, THE NOSTALGIC EMOTION OF OBJECTS

Have you ever been moved by the spectacle of ephemeral nature or by the nostalgic contemplation of an object that brings back precious memories? Then you're familiar with the Japanese concept of mo...

SEOUL TRAVEL DIARY

It seems that Seoul is one of those cities that doesn't at all resemble the image we have of it. It's not a city whose beauty is obvious. And is it beautiful? Well, not really, by my own standards....

L’ART ET LA MATIÈRE, POP-UP EVENT ATELIER IKIWA X COMPTOIR DES VOYAGES IN PARIS

THE POP-UP ATELIER IKIWA x COMPTOIR DES VOYAGES: Precious objects from Japan and Korea by contemporary artisans in lacquer, ceramic, bamboo, wood, metal and glass, generally unique. Incense, tea, a...

MY KYŌTO TRAVEL DIARY

Kyōto, a travel diary that is not a list of must-see monuments, but rather ideas for visiting Kyōto differently, getting away from the beaten path, my addresses for admiring, walking, drinking tea...

When Japanese craft traditions meet French creativity.

Laurence Vouillemin is the talented designer behind the brand Ikémato. From her travels to Kyoto she learns techniques and brings back gems in the form of left-overs kimono pieces, material fr...

Japan: the art of chusen, a unique textile print

The Maryuku Shoten x Pauline Androlus collaboration revisits the tradition of chusen, a Japanese handcrafted textile print techniques that appeared during the Meiji period. Abstract patterns inspir...

In Asia, following the roads to indigo dyeing

There is this colour which touches our hearts, a colour of evening skies and deep oceans, but also a colour that is as light and transparent as clear water and as soft as forget-me-nots. A mysterio...

Oh! INDIGO, Blue Moods of Asia

Oh! INDIGO. From August 22 to October 4, 2022, Atelier Ikiwa dives into indigo for its first major thematic campaign: 6 weeks exclusively dedicated to this colour, a Blue Moods which, from India to...

“48 teas and 100 mice", Japan and colours

As in other cultural and artistic domains, the successive Japanese Imperial Courts codified colours, their uses, prohibitions (colours reserved exclusively for dignitaries) and authorisations (colo...

Japanese lacquer, the play of light and dark

A lacquered object will always retain the aesthetic awareness of those who know how to take their time, to look at it, to appreciate it not just visually, but with all the senses: the softness of t...

Kyoto: guide to the best addresses for crafts and design

Kyoto: knowing where to find treasures, meeting craftsmen who continue to keep centuries-old traditions alive, learning how to push open doors even if the language is a mystery, discovering that th...

Discovering Chiso, from Kyoto, specialist in kyo yūzen

Since 1555 in Kyoto, Japan, Chiso specialises in kyo yūzen, an absolutely unique artisan kimono painting technique requiring 20 steps and 6 months of work for one piece, mixing rice paste reserves,...

Korea Art & Crafts

Korean Art & Crafts Showcased in Paris A few years ago we organised an exhibition in La Vallée Village’s Art Gallery to feature seven Korean Artists and to showcase the rich diversity of their art,...

Hiyoshiya, The 170 Year-Old Japanese Wagasa Maker

Japanese umbrella are called wagasa. Less than 10 wagasa makers still exist in Japan, and only one in Kyoto, Hiyoshiya, a 170year-old craft institution. Hiyoshiya continues crafting wagasa but also...