Tokolo Asao [CONNECT] Individual and Group. A Japanese architect’s geometric works at the Japan House London

An exhibition of works by Tokolo Asao - creator of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games emblem is currently held at Japan House London in Kensington, in the heart of the Capital of Great Britain, until 7th November 2021.

Tokolo Asao (b.1969) studied architecture from a young age and now works in the interdisciplinary fields of art, architecture, and design.   

A selection of his geometric patterns built on the concept of connection is based on simple geometry, and the patterns can be reproduced using a compass and a ruler.

He has a connection with London  having previously studied under Egashira Shin at the Architectural Association. 

Since September 11th, 2001, Tokolo has been producing patterns to the theme of ‘connecting’, according to Japan House London which commissioned this exhibition.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games brought Tokolo Asao to the world’s attention, when his graphic art Harmonised Chequered Emblem was chosen as the Olympic and Paralympic official emblems. 

Tokolo is an artist who is happy to share his work with anyone. He will explain project after project with intense curiosity and passion for what he is doing. 

So, if you ask, he will tell you that the emblem is made up of three specific rectangles that connect at every corner and can fill a circle perfectly. 

Although at first glance the simplicity and elegance is deceptive, further inspection reveals the complexity of the arrangements could have only been made possible as a result of intricately thought-out logic.

All images by Lucia Carpio for MyFashionConnectGlobal.

Making Nuno - an exhibition in London of Japanese textile innovation by designer Sudō Reiko from May 17 - July 11, 2021

With the easing of lockdowns making way for a gradual return to “normal” life, many public spaces in the UK are gratefully hosting visitors once again, even indoors.

One of the textile installations at the Making Nuno exhibition currently held in Japan House London.
Photos by Lucia Carpio for MyFashionConnectGlobal.

One of these is the delightfully zen and modern Japan House London in the heart of fashionable Kensington which launched in its much anticipated Making Nuno exhibition that was  postponed a few months ago due to pandemic restrictions.  The exhibition will continue until July 11th 2021.

The exhibition showcases the innovative work of textile designer Sudō Reiko, and celebrates the Japanese designer’s creativity and passion in pushing the boundaries of laborious textile production and championing new methods of manufacture, with particular focus on the sustainability of materials and regional craftsmanship.

Textile designer Sudō Reiko in the Nuno design firm as depicted in one of the videos accompanying
the Japan House London Making Nuno exhibition.

Sudō, trained as a textile and industrial designer, has been Design Director of leading textile design firm NUNO for over 30 years and she designs fabrics that incorporate traditions of Japanese crafts with new engineering techniques and unusual combinations of diverse materials, from silk to hand-made washi (Japanese paper) nylon tape and thermoplastic, and technologies derived from Japanese hand craft traditions such as caustic burning, weaving and dying.  Her inspiring designs are currently housed in collections around the world, including in MoMA in New York and in the V&A in London.

Under the Art direction of Saitō Seiichi of Panoramatiks (formerly Rhizomatiks Architecture) a spotlight is shone on creativity that combine nature and tradition, interwoven with technology.

The exhibition includes five large-scale installations of Sudō’s work with the manufacturing processes cleverly brought to life through materials in situ and the presence of visuals projected onto light boxes to create realistic simulations. Visitors are introduced to a variety of thought-provoking processes from washi-dyeing to chemical lace embroidery inspired by rolls of paper. Each installation is accompanied by drawings and sketches, alongside raw materials and design prototypes. 

The experience to this exhibition is enhanced also by a collection of  immersive short films by art director Saitō Seiichi, featuring exclusive footage of the making of Nuno textiles, produced in collaboration with family-run factories and craftspeople in various regions across Japan, from Gunma to Yamagata, Fukui, Shiga, Yamanashi, Wakayama and Kyoto. 

The films showing textile mills in the prefectures of Gunma, Yamagata, Fukui, Shiga, and Yamanashi were first featured as part of the successful show in 2019 at the Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile (CHAT) in Hong Kong, while the videos filmed in Wakayama and Kyoto are screened for the first time at Japan House London.

These videos, totaling 40 minutes,  show the day-to-day operation of machinery by factory workers and technicians.  Without dialogue nor narration, the intense sound of the machinery and the dynamism of the technology behind NUNO’s production processes give viewers fascinating insights of the production processes.  

Various samples of the textiles including finished products such as scarfs are found in the retail shop of Japan House London  on the ground level.

Full information and booking of free tickets of MAKING NUNO Japanese Textile Innovation from Sudō Reiko exhibition can be found on the Japan House London website.

Japan House London unleashes creative ideas for doggies in new exhibition

In recent months, due to the Covid-19 pandemic that has made it essential for many of us to stay at home more, we have come to appreciate the importance of biophilic interior designs that help promote our wellbeing, like incorporating nature and natural materials.  

Photo: Jeremie Souteyrat.

Now an exhibition in the heart of Kensington, London in the UK opens our eyes to unique designs that promote the wellbeing of ourselves and our trusted best friends, our dogs.  

Photo © Lucia Carpio 2020

Entitled “Architecture for Dogs” the exhibition in the basement of the tranquil Japan House** features a range of 16  creative doggy furniture/homes designed by international notable architects and designers.  Many of the creations are much like furniture that make comfort a major factor for our four-legged friends, specifically small to medium sized breeds including the Beagle, Bishon Frise and Poodle, while others are designed to promote activity, perhaps to ensure peaceful co-habiting with humans.  

With our loyal, four-legged friends proving their value as comforting companions during lockdown more than ever, Architecture for Dogs offers visitors a fun and insightful exploration into how it is possible for dogs and their human companions to be at their happiest through interaction with specially designed architectural pieces, according to Japan House in a press statement.

Photo: Adrian Brooks, Imagewise

Internationally renowned Japanese architect Kuma Kengo has created “Mount Pug”, a form of a nest or playground made organically with interconnecting pieces without the use of a signle nail.  

Photo © Lucia Carpio 2020

Kengo is the designer of the Tokyo’s New National Stadium which has been built for 2020 Summer Olympics, which sadly the world didn’t get to experience this year.  Fingers crossed the Olympics will be able to proceed in 2021.

Photo: Hiroshi Yoda.

“No Dog, No Life” is by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto, created to reminisce his famous “House NA”, featuring a grid-like shelfing structure that doubles up as a display and storage space as well, while housing a hopefully well-behaved dog that doesn’t act like a bull in a china shop.  In 2013, Fujimoto’s commissioned work for London’s Serpentine Gallery featured a cloud-like structure made from grids of white steel poles.

Photo: Hiroshi Yoda.

While designer Misawa Haruka’s Pointed T is a doghouse made from paper that resembles a cone-shaped tent suspended from the ceiling, architect Sejima Kazuyo, founder of SANA, goes for a cloud-shaped design – described as a candy floss cocoon - to mirror the fluffy fur of the Bichon Frise.  It’s sort of a hideaway where dog and structure blend into one.

Photo: Hiroshi Yoda.

Photo © Lucia Carpio 2020

Architect Ban Shigeru turns paper tubes and soft wires into organic, flexible structures to create flexible structures that allow dogs and humans to interact in a myriad of ways.

Photo: Hiroshi Yoda.

While MVRDV presents a playful take on the dog house, with an interactive toy which is at the same time a stimulating environment for the intelligent Beagle breed to enjoy, German industrial designer Konstantin Grcic has created a fun mirror-led structure for pooches to gaze at themselves. 

Photo © Lucia Carpio 2020

To visit Architecture for Dogs, you need to pre-register at the Japan House London website.  Dog owners may also bring their own small dogs to interact with a number of the exhibits in the free exhibition.  Visitors  are also given paper and pencil to come up with their own creations inspired by the show.  Architecture for Dogs will continue until 10th January 2021.

Hara Kenya, Chief Creative Advisor for the Japan House project and creator of Architecture for Dogs, says, "We are delighted that, at the invitation of Japan House London, we are able to take this exhibition to London. While the architecture is ‘for dogs’, each of the contributors taking part in this unique project is a first class, world renowned architect. Please come and enjoy this cutting-edge architecture exhibition”.

Simon Wright, Director of Programming, Japan House London, explained, “This exhibition, featuring architecture specially designed for our canine best friends by a pantheon of stellar creative minds, is thoughtful, provocative and delightfully playful. Come and join us, and design with us.”

“Architecture for Dogs has always allowed us to see designers and architects as creative problem-solver, story-teller and even empathic futurists,” says Julia Y.C. Huang, CEO of Imprint, co-founder of Architecture for Dogs. “In its eighth year of inception, we cannot but think it has a special meaning for it to take place in 2020. In this time of uncertainty, I can be certain that a visit to Japan House London for this exhibition will bring smiles to your faces.”

** Japan House London is a cultural centre offering visitors an experience of the best and latest from Japan. Located on London’s Kensington High Street, the experience is an authentic encounter with Japan, engaging and surprising even the most knowledgeable guests. Presenting the very best of Japanese art, design, gastronomy, innovation, and technology, it deepens our appreciation of all that Japan has to offer. Part of a global initiative led by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are two other Japan Houses in the world: in Los Angeles and São Paulo.

Japan House opens in London's Kensington

Japan House is officially open, confirming London remains a top choice for cultural and creativity exchange between different nations. 

Japan House London, which opened on June 22, is set in an Art Deco building on Kensington High Street, London, as part of a global initiative led by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  This unique set-up aims to bring focus to the beautiful ancient country of Japan, the next destination for the Rugby World Cup 2019 and the Summer Olympics 2020.

"We shall be asking visitors to discover and reflect on what they might not yet know about Japan."

The new Japan House London is Europe’s destination for appreciating and understanding Japanese art, design, gastronomy, innovation and technology under one roof.  Accordingly, the two other Japan Houses in the world are located in Los Angeles and São Paulo.

It provides authentic and surprising encounters with the very best in art, design, gastronomy, innovation and technology, allowing visitors a deeper appreciation of Japanese culture, according to HARA Kenya, Chief Creative Director of the global Japan House project.

He said:  “It is not easy to introduce Japan simply. In Japan House, we shall not be showing stereotypes, but importantly we shall be asking visitors to discover and reflect on what they might not yet know about Japan.  For people who have not thought about Japan, for those who think they do, and for Japanese people themselves, I hope that at each encounter with Japan House there will be fresh discovery.”

Through a wide-ranging programme, Japan House London shines a spotlight on the artisans, craftsmen, designers, performers, musicians and other creatives who are making waves in Japan and around the world – from internationally renowned individuals to emerging artists who are excelling in their field.

Some of the best creative minds in Japan are working on the project and almost every aspect of Japan House London is derived “from source” in Japan; from its interior design features, to the exhibitions and events, and authentic retail products sourced from across Japan.

KATAYAMA Masamichi, Principal of Wonderwall and prominent Japanese interior designer said: "This project gave me great pleasure and an opportunity to relearn, revisit and revaluate Japan's aesthetics and the mindset of our people. I wanted to create a purposeful and meaningful space which can be a stage and provide a spotlight to the very broad and creative programme on offer at Japan House London."

Michael HOULIHAN, Director General of Japan House London, added: “London has long been a crossroads for our world’s cultures, ideas, and trade. From tomorrow (June 22), Japan will have a special place where its voice can be heard and its stories can enrich this exceptional fabric of openness and understanding.”

Cllr Gerard Hargreaves, Kensington and Chelsea Council’s Lead Member for Communities and Culture, said:  “Our borough is an international borough home to many nationalities and world famous for its cultural and retail attractions. I’m delighted that it is now home to Japan House. Our connections with Japan are evident already, we have the beautiful Kyoto Gardens nearby in Holland Park, we are looking forward to the opportunities this creates to further develop close business, cultural and educational links.”

Japan House offers a unique slice of Japanese culture in the heart of London

While many of us are still concerned about the uncertainties brought on by Brexit, one thing for certain is that London remains a top choice for cultural and creativity exchange between different nations. 

Japan House London which is due to open on June 22 in an Art Deco building on Kensington High Street, London, is a fine example of the continued strong standing of London as a global cultural centre.

As part of a global initiative led by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this unique set-up will certainly bring focus to the beautiful ancient country of Japan, the next destination for the Rugby World Cup 2019 and the Summer Olympics 2020.

The new Japan House London will be Europe’s destination for appreciating and understanding Japanese art, design, gastronomy, innovation and technology under one roof.  Accordingly, the two other Japan Houses in the world are located in Los Angeles and São Paulo.

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