Exhibition — A Thousand Designs
It is now just two days until the opening.
In this special exhibition,
“Iwate Sawagurumi Baskets
—A World Woven by Front and Back—,”
we will present a wide variety of baskets,
most of them one of a kind.
Alongside basket bags designed for going out,
you will also find organizing baskets suitable for use indoors,
as well as smaller pieces such as brooches.
We hope you will enjoy encountering
the rich expressions that emerge from sawagurumi,
through these diverse forms and uses.
The main focus of this exhibition is the basket bag.
For the maker, Toshio Sasaki, the basket bag is both the very first item he ever created and a product he continues to make consistently to this day.
Sasaki often says,
“I see myself as making products, not artworks.”
Those words reflect his belief that,
as tools meant for everyday use,
these baskets must never break
and must be made to be truly durable.
Beyond their reliability as tools,
there is also the rich, full-bodied fragrance—
“luxuriant” feels like exactly the right word—
and the exceptionally pleasant texture of the bark.
When you visit the shop,
we warmly invite you to touch them,
to feel that texture for yourself.
Sawagurumi bark has a front and a back,
and basket bags woven using these two sides—
with their distinct textures and tones—
are each different, revealing a wide range of expressions.
For example, this basket bag is woven entirely from the back side of the bark.
Rather than a deep brown,
its color is so dark that one might describe it as black.
Although there are only two sides—front and back—
within them exist countless gradations of color.
Through their combinations,
each basket bag is given its own unique character.
We are told that the number of baskets Mr. Sasaki has made over the years
is approaching one thousand.
In other words, nearly one thousand designs have been created.
It is a world that feels both joyful and deeply profound.
In this exhibition, around thirty-five of those baskets will be on display.
Here, we would like to introduce a small selection of them through photographs.
For this exhibition, Mr. Sasaki has also prepared azuma-bukuro cloth bags that can be used together with the basket bags.
They work well as bag-in-bag organizers, helping to keep items neatly gathered inside the basket, and also serve as a cover to gently conceal the contents.
By changing the fabric color to suit the season or your mood, you can enjoy giving the basket a different atmosphere each time.
These azuma-bukuro cloth bags were sewn by Mr. Sasaki’s mother, who is also the mentor and original influence behind his basket making.
We invite you to try them together with a sawagurumi basket bag and experience how naturally they complement one another.
Mr. Sasaki says that he always makes his baskets with durability in mind, so that they are less likely to break through everyday use.
They are indeed sturdy pieces, but in the unlikely event that something does happen, repairs can also be arranged.
“As a rule, these are items that can be used for a very long time by repairing them as needed,” he says.
“I hope people will use them freely, without hesitation.”
Over time, as they age and change, these baskets are likely to become reliable and endearing companions,
quietly staying close by in daily life.
We would be delighted if this exhibition could serve
as an opportunity to connect each visitor with the one basket that feels right for them.
_ // Information // _
• Visits on Friday, September 16 and Saturday, September 17,
when Mr. Toshio Sasaki was present at the shop,
were by reservation only.
(Please note that reservations for these dates
have now closed.)
** During the exhibition period,
the display focused primarily on works from
“Iwate Sawagurumi Baskets.”
Other regular items were removed from the shop floor,
and only a very limited selection was on view.
If there were other items visitors wished to see,
they were invited to speak with our staff.
Items were brought out from storage upon request.
Specifying the product name or details
helped us assist more smoothly.
*** For this exhibition,
all purchased items could be taken home on the day of purchase.
Only items displayed in the shop were available for sale,
and most of them were one of a kind.
Visitors were encouraged to come early
if there was a piece they were interested in.
Please note that made-to-order requests
were not accepted for this exhibition.
Exhibition Details
Exhibition Title:
Iwate Sawagurumi Baskets
—A World Woven by Front and Back—
Dates:
September 16 (Fri) – September 21 (Wed), 2022
*Open every day during the exhibition period
Hours:
September 16 and 17: 10:30 AM – 4:30 PM
All other days: 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM