October 23, 2015

A traditional Japanese bamboo craft requiring master skills in weaving, threading, and constructing bamboo, takezaiku is used to create baskets, handbags and furniture, as well as practical objects like tatami floor mats, sudare blinds/shades, lamps and textiles. A recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for Highest Achievement in Industrial Art, Kenichi Mouri blends this traditional form with a uniquely modern approach, establishing his own style and individuality within the world of takezaiku. As a Rankin Scholar in Residence, Mouri will give a lecture on his unique form of takezaiku on October 27 at 6:00pm (URBN Annex Screening Room, 3401 Filbert Street); as well as pop-up bamboo weaving demonstrations on October 23, 26 and 27, all from 10:00am to 12:00pm and 2:00pm to 4:00pm (URBN Center, 3501 Market Street, 3^rd & 4^th floor corridors). All events are free to the public.

On Saturday, October 24, he will lead students in a full-day, hands-on workshop in weaving techniques and patterns. Throughout his residency Mr. Mouri’s work will be on display on the fourth floor of the URBN Center and will be available for purchase.

Kenichi Mouri is a native of Beppu on the coast of the island Kyushu, one of Japan’s richest bamboo growing regions. As a descendent of master bamboo craftsmen, he carries on the legacy of the trade and its roots in practicality and aesthetic beauty. Using new colors and modern shapes within traditional weaving patterns, he experiments to create products that are elegant yet familiar.

In search of a medium between traditional and contemporary, he traveled to Tokyo, where he rediscovered the Japanese people’s desire to balance both new and old. Because the takezaiku art form is rooted in Japanese sensibility, it utilizes surroundings to create products that are essential to daily life. In an ever-changing world in search of sustainability, takezaiku has reemerged due to a consumer-driven need for socially and environmentally responsible products.

For more information, please contact Professor Shushi Yoshinaga at sy53@drexel.edu.