As the cold winter season approaches, so will the dining scene with everyone surrounding and enjoying a single pot “Nabe” cuisine. Today, so many variations of “Nabe” cuisines are becoming popular, the center piece of the Earthenware pot is gathering attention widely.

In 2009, I was asked to design an IH-compatible Earthenware pot using carbon material as the heat generating source. 4 types of pots were made, one for “Nabe” cuisine, another for rice cooking, a stew pot and one that could be also used for steaming vegetables,  meat and fishes, etc. By using an innovative material as IH stove compatibility for Earthenware pots, regular gas oven tops and electrical oven tops are now usable either way. During this event at Sasayama Gallery KITA’S, table coordinator Kumiko Matsushita set the table table decorations with “Nabe” cuisine settings.

VENUE : November 12^th (Sat) – December 27^th (Tues), 2011 at Sasayama Gallery KITA’S.

Sasayama Gallery KITA’S Seminar No.6

“Talk Session: Makoto Ishida x Toshiyuki Kita

VENUE : November 26^th (Sat)  14:00 – 15:00 at Sasayama Gallery KITA’S.

Mr.Kita first met with the manufacturer of the Earthenware “COOKPOT” series, Mr. Ishida, at the Higashiosaka City Design Seminar, a design workshop for small and medium-sized businesses where Mr.Kita was invited to become the design advisor for the West Osaka City. When the design request came for a new “Nabe” pot series, Mr.Kita felt his strong motivation as a manufacturer. Audience enjoyed the designing developments and its product story of this pot.

Casks – Eifu Kawamata / Tortoiseshell – Isogai Tsuyoshi / Framer – Iwasaki Akira / Edo Glass Kiriko – Okubo Tadayuki / Edo Braid- Haneda Shinji / Tinsmith – Nakamura Keiichi / Fountain Pen – Kawakubo Katsumi / Metalcraft Creator – Koto Miyata / Nihonga Artist – Ikegami Hiroko

There is always a feel of “strength” in hand-made items that cannot be felt from machine-made products. New sensations, which can only originate from those hands that inherit traditional craftsmanship and wisdom and from the use of fine materials. Daily-use goods which brings richness into our lifestyle, teaware that decorates the tea ceremony for that special occasion.

VENUE : September 2nd (Fri) – October 10th (Mon), 2011 at Sasayama Gallery KITA’S.

Sasayama Gallery KITA’S Seminar No.5
“Talk Session: 9 members of Koutou-ku Traditional Crafts Association x Toshiyuki Kita”
VENUE : October 1st (Sat), 2011 14:00 – 15:00 at Sasayama Gallery KITA’S 2F

In Tokyo from far back as Edo-era, there are craftsmen who made everyday tools necessary for our daily life. Along the dedicated path of its traditional history, members of Koutou-ku Traditional Crafts Association is striving to widen the possibility of traditional material and craftsmanship into hand-made tools which can blend in and become necessary for our modern lifestyle. They will talk about their spirits and latest activities in this endeavor.

Glass Artist Takeshi Tsujino, along with six studio artists from his “fresco” glass works studio established in 2005, will be presenting works of “handmade art” and “original identity” in this modern lifestyle as their brand theme. Through their glassware made from collaborations between creators’ “expression” and the users’ “expression”, the importance of human, nature and handicraft was displayed.

VENUE: July 22^nd (Fri) – August 23^rd (Tues), 2011 at Sasayama Gallery KITA’S.

Sasayama Gallery KITA’S Seminar No.4

“Talk Session: Takeshi Tsujino x Toshiyuki Kita”

VENUE : August 6^th (Sat), 2011  14:00 – 15:00 at Sasayama Gallery KITA’S 2F

Blown glass technique is a method of creating glassware by wrapping hot 1200 degrees Celsius molten glass on to a wind pipe and then blowing into the glass to shape. Unlike from the cool looks of glassware itself, they will discuss the hot studio experiences, and with the 10^th anniversary of their studio coming up, future of glassware production and their new challenges will also be presented.

During the Edo-period, Odawara Hakone’s wooden mosaic parquetry called “Yosegi-zaiku” has always fascinated the travelers passing across the steep mountainous path of Hakone. The 6 members of Zoukibayashi: Kiyotaka Tsuyuki, Yuta Shimizu, Yuuki Ishikawa, Ken Ohta, Yuhei Kojima and Eiji Shinoda, who has inherited the generations of traditional artistry and craftsmanship, will be displaying their latest Yosegi-zaiku products.

VENUE : April 9th (Sat) – May 10th (Tue), 2011 at Sasayama Gallery KITA’S.

Sasayama Gallery KITA’S Seminar No.3

“Talk Session: Zoukibayashi craftsmen x Toshiyuki Kita”

VENUE : April 23^rd (Sat), 2011 14:00 – 15:00 at Sasayama Gallery KITA’S 2F

An 1,200 years old tradition of Odawara’s wooden mosaic parquetry called “Yosegi-zaiku”, they are made with natural color variations of Hakone’s local forest wood materials. You will enjoy the talks from craftsmen on current lifestyle trends to their innovative endeavors for near future.