Panel discussion: Mingei / Art Without Heroes

Join curator Roisin Inglesby, along with contributors KIKUCHI Yuko, Aaron Angell, and Dasom Sung, for an exciting evening exploring and expanding on the themes of the book Mingei / Art Without Heroes, chaired by YOSHIZAWA Tomo.

Originating in Japan in the 1920s, the Mingei movement was based on the principle that beauty is inherent in handmade, everyday objects created by anonymous craftspeople. Spearheaded by the philosopher YANAGI Soetsu, and potters HAMADA Shoji and Bernard Leach, the movement sought to elevate the status of folk craft in a rapidly modernising society.

Mingei / Art Without Heroes covers a wide range of objects associated with Mingei, from ceramics and furniture to textiles and toys, alongside a series of profiles of leading designers and makers working in Japan today. Contributors from a variety of backgrounds explore Mingei’s origins, interpretations and contemporary implications, shedding new light on the ways in which the principles of the movement remain relevant to today’s personal, social and environmental concerns.