The event will be held from May 16th (Sat) to June 14th (Sun), 2026 at the Tokyo University of the Arts Art Plaza in Ueno (admission is free).
Geidai Art Plaza ( https://artplaza.geidai.ac.jp/ ), a gallery operated on the campus of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Tokyo University of the Arts (Ueno, Taito-ku) as a collaborative project between Shogakukan and Tokyo University of the Arts, will be hosting an exhibition titled "Craft Ecosystem – A World in Kogei -" by Kaito Kawasaki, Shunsuke Nomura, and Rei Mochizuki from May 16th, 2026 (Saturday).
Admission is free and photography is permitted.
Held on Saturday, May 16, 2026
"The Craft Ecosystem – A World of Kogei -"
What exactly is "craft"? We often perceive it as an accumulation of skills. However, the craft nurtured within Japan's diverse climate and culture is more than just the accumulation and perfection of skills. It is also an activity in which beauty is found within the interplay of the local climate and materials, people's lives, history, and time. Perhaps craft expresses an "ecosystem" that includes people, emerging in connection with people's way of life and environment. The three artists participating in this exhibition seem to be continuously exploring this contemporary state of craft in their respective practices. There, a single ecosystem is surely breathing, where people and nature, past and present, are loosely connected.
(Geidai Art Plaza, Shiro Takagi)
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Exhibition announcement page
https://artplaza.geidai.ac.jp/column/30994/
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■ Exhibition overview
Exhibition Title: "Craft Ecosystem – A World of Kogei -"
Venue: Geidai Art Plaza (12-8 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo, within the Tokyo University of the Arts Faculty of Fine Arts campus)
Dates: May 16th (Sat) – June 14th (Sun), 2026
*Pre-opening on May 15th (Fri) at 13:00
Admission fee: Free
Opening hours: 10:00-18:00
Closed on Mondays. *Open on public holidays, closed the following Tuesday.
*Business hours may change. Please check our official website and social media for the latest information.
[Exhibiting Artists]
Kaito Kawasaki
Born in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture in 2000.
2018: Created a painting of the atomic bomb, "Woman Who Died in the Blast."
Graduated from Hiroshima Municipal Motomachi High School, General Studies Course, Creative Expression Program in 2019.
April 2020: Enrolled in the Department of Crafts, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts.
In April 2021, I enrolled in the Department of Crafts, specializing in metal casting, at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts.
November 2021: Yamato Museum Crowdfunding Reward Design Competition – Grand Prize Winner
2022 Tokyo University of the Arts Scholarship Program, Ataka Prize
Selected for the Tokyo University of the Arts Art Plaza Grand Prize Exhibition in January 2023.
January 2024: Geidai Art Plaza Art Award, Special Jury Prize
January 2024 Heisei Art Award
2025 Geidai Art Plaza Art Award Shogakukan Prize
Salon de Printemps Award 2026
March 2026: Completed the Metal Casting Major in the Department of Crafts, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts.
Instagram: @kkchaki
Shunsuke Nomura
Born in Tokyo in 2000.
Enrolled in the Art and Craft Department at Tokyo Metropolitan Kogei High School in 2016.
Graduated from Tokyo Metropolitan Kogei High School, Art & Craft Department in 2019.
Enrolled in the Department of Crafts, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts in 2020.
2023 "The 59th Mori Kiln Pottery Exhibition" Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store, Main Building 6th Floor, Museum Craft Salon
2023 "Ceramic Synergy Exhibition" Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art
2023 "KOGEI Art Fair Kanazawa" Hyatt Centric Kanazawa
Art Fair Tokyo 2024, Tokyo International Forum, Hall E
2025 Solo Exhibition at Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, Seijo Branch
2025 "OSAKA INTERNATIONAL ART" Osaka-jo Hall
2025 "Special Feature on Contemporary Artists' Tea Bowls" Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store Art Square
Completed graduate studies in Ceramics at the Department of Crafts, Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts in 2026.
Selected for the 2022 "Geidai Art Plaza Grand Prize Exhibition"
2023 "Geidai Art Plaza Grand Prize Exhibition" Art Plaza Award
2023: Ceramic Synergy Award at the "Ceramic Synergy Exhibition," Bunkyo Elementary School Award.
2023 International Takifuji Art Award Special Prize
Honorable Mention at the 2023 Tokyo University of the Arts Art Festival
2026 "Art Power Award" Final Project (Insource Co., Ltd.)
Instagram: @nomura_shunsuke_
Mochizukirei
Born in Aichi Prefecture in 1998.
Entered the Department of Crafts, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts in 2020.
Graduated from the Department of Crafts, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts in 2024.
2024 Graduation Project "Shayuru Yoru" (Clear Night), now in the collection and installation of Lectore Hayama Shonan International Village.
In 2024, I enrolled in the Master's Program in Crafts, Metalworking, at the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts.
Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School of Fine Arts, Master's Program in Crafts (Metalwork) in 2026.
2026 Graduation Project "Late Winter" – Collection of Arakawa Ward, Tokyo, installed at Arakawa Ward General Sports Center
In 2026, I enrolled in the doctoral program in metalworking, specializing in crafts, at the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts.
Currently enrolled in the Metal Engraving Laboratory, Doctoral Course, Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts.
2024 All Japan Gold and Silver Art Exhibition, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs Director's Award
2024 Tokyo University of the Arts Scholarship Program Ataka Prize
2026 Tokyo University of the Arts Art Plaza Art Award Runner-up
Arakawa Ward Mayor's Award, 2026
Instagram: @mochrei
What is the Tokyo University of the Arts Art Plaza?
The Geidai Art Plaza is a gallery that exhibits and sells works by faculty, staff, students, and graduates of Tokyo University of the Arts (hereinafter referred to as Geidai), which has produced many top artists. Located on the Geidai Ueno campus, it is one of the few places where the general public can freely enter and visit throughout the year. It was launched in 2018 as a collaborative project between Shogakukan and Geidai.
Currently, the university holds exhibitions with different themes every one to two months. Each exhibition features 10 to 50 artists, bringing together works expressed through a diverse range of techniques and approaches unique to Tokyo University of the Arts, including oil painting, Japanese painting, sculpture, crafts, and design.
■ Access
Nearest stations: JR Ueno Station (Park Exit), Uguisudani Station (approximately 10-minute walk)
Get off at Nezu Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line and walk for about 10 minutes.
Get off at Ueno Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line and walk for about 15 minutes.
Get off at Keisei Ueno Station on the Keisei Electric Railway and walk for about 15 minutes.
Take the Toei Bus Route 26 (Kameido to Ueno Park) and get off at Yanaka bus stop. It's about a 3-minute walk from there.
*Please note that there is no parking available, so please refrain from coming by car.
■ Official SNS Accounts
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/geidai_art_plaza
X:
https://x.com/artplaza_geidai
Podcast (Spotify):
https://open.spotify.com/show/2FlkumYv9ScWy69UlBtqWy
Threads:
https://www.threads.net/@geidai_art_plaza
■ Inquiry
Frequently asked questions can be found here.
https://artplaza.geidai.ac.jp/qa/
[Shogakukan Inc.] Press Release
