Encounter
In September, 2020, 10 artisans and craft artists from Japan and France were selected and were introduced via web meeting. Through their computers, they each showed their studios and past works and did their best to convey the core concepts of their work. After the presentations, each submitted a proposal on who they would like to collaborate with, and, based on that, the Japanese-French advisors decided on the five pairs. After the groups were decided, the pairs had discussion to find a concept unique to the two of them. It is after understanding the cultural and traditional, as well as individual, background to your own art that you can come to see the commonalities and differences with others. The process of this dialogue is also a way to give shape and find one’s own individuality. This year marked the third year of this project, and there were several artists who had already participated in the previous years. Some proposed ideas were due to mutual understanding of each other’s technique and individuality of previous years, and, while face-to-face dialogue was impossible, the meaning of this collaboration, such as the deepening of relationships and its influence on art-making, could be found.