On now until September 13 is the 8th Holland Paper Biennial, being held at both the Museum Rijswijk and CODA Museum, in Apeldoorn. On display are the works of 27 renowned paper artists, including some of my favourites such as Noriko Ambe and Christophe Piallat. I wish I could visit in person and take lots of photos to show you, but no can do. Here are some images that were kindly sent by the galleries, so we get to see some of the amazingness too!
Above: Noriko Takamiya
Amparo Sard
Katharina Dettar
Javier Leon
Peter Clark
Josef Baier
Birgit Knoechl
Anouk Kruithof
Christophe Piallat
Lu Shengzhong
Peter Clark
Janna Syvänoja
Lydia Hirte
Boukje Voet
To mark the conclusion of the 2010 Holland Paper Biennial, a grand paper fair will be held on Sunday, September 12 at Museum Rijswijk. Here, artists, paper-makers and paper merchants from the Netherlands and other countries too, will be displaying and selling their wares.
By the overwhelming response I received from my Tokyo By Tokyo book post, I got the impression you guys would like to know more about discovering the real Tokyo? So I thought I’d share with you another great Tokyo guide that’s sure to point you in the right direction to finding the best creative spaces and hidden gems this amazing city has to offer.
Art Space Tokyo is an in-depth guide to 12 contemporary Tokyo art spaces and their surroundings. The spaces explored within the book not only provide visual arts appeal but also focuses on other areas of creativity such as design, anime and architecture too. Below image: 21_21 Design Sight illustration of Tadao Ando’s signature building.
After scouring the city and visiting hundreds of venues, Ashley Rawlings & Craig Mod had the difficult task of selecting the 12 best art spaces to feature in their book. They believe the spaces chosen for the book are the most inspiring art spaces Tokyo has to offer and after having visited most of them, I’d have to agree.
Expect to find detailed and easy to navigate neighborhood maps, insightful interviews, 50+ ink illustrations by Nobumasa Takahashi, useful website references and a handy appendix of terms, places and events. And did I mention how beautiful the book itself is? It has a beautiful screen printed cloth cover, 272 pages of lovely Japanese paper and a sewn in bookmark too.
Art Space Tokyo took us to many amazing places, that we otherwise would not have discovered. The fun is in the journey and with great suggestions throughout the book for places to eat and shops to see along the way, you’ll soon discover that each one of the 12 destinations is easily a full day of exploration. So if you have 12 days in Tokyo, then you’re set!
I thought I’d share three Art Space Tokyo inspired day trips with you, to give you an idea of some of the good stuff you’ll see if you follow the guide and explore the neighborhoods. The first one is Gallery éf in Asakusa and although the gallery itself is quite young (established in 1998) it is housed in a 140 year old wooden warehouse, that has miraculously survived the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and the firebombing of Tokyo in 1945. It’s tucked away at the back of a cosy little cafe, so be careful not to walk past it. You don’t want to miss this, it’s such a beautiful space.
Not far from the gallery is a noodle house that comes recommended in the book. And if you’re a fan of ramen and gyoza, you really must visit this place. Fresh noodles are hand rolled as you wait and watching them get made is truly remarkable. How one large strand can be turned into hundreds of smaller strands, so perfectly and quickly is still beyond me. I was so impressed and even though I had packed away my camera and taken off my tourist hat, I couldn’t help but to bring it out again to take some shots of this noodle making master in action. He was quite amazing to watch.
Next stop was Senso-ji temple also in Asakusa. It’s Tokyo’s oldest and most significant Buddhist temple and on offer were Omikuji or ‘sacred lotteries’. These folded paper slips are randomly drawn and contain predictions ranging from ‘great luck’ to ‘great bad luck’. By tying the piece of paper as shown in the images below, ‘great luck’ will certainly come your way or ‘great bad luck’ will be averted. Phew!
Other rituals include writing prayers on pieces of paper or wooden plaques and rubbing incense smoke onto one’s head.
On the way back to get the ferry home we past so many interesting places and people too. Asakusa is great for street strolling and people watching, there is so much to see here and I recommend you allow a full day to see it in.
Getting the ferry back into town is a really nice way to see the city and all its colours. Take a look at some of the colourful bridges we passed under, and the ferry itself was so vibrant too.
Next up is a place that is sure to bring out the inner child in you. Set in the woods of Inokashira Park, the Ghibli Museum is a truly magical place. Founded by Hayao Miyazaki in 1985, Studio Ghibli is the production company behind many anime classics. Inside you’ll learn all about the history and science of animation, there are spinning tables, flickering stroboscopes, original sketches and storyboards, spiral staircases, a very popular playroom for the kiddies, a cafe, a bookshop and a beautiful little theatre too. And btw, your entry ticket includes a free short-film of the cutest kind inside the theatre, so everyone gets a look!
The book suggests the best and most picturesque way to get to the museum is via Inokashira Park. And I agree! It’s such a beautiful park to walk through, so lush and green and tranquil too.
No photography is allowed inside the museum, so all I can show you are a few shots from the outside. There are so many quirky and colourful details everywhere. Inside resembles something from the Willy Wonka world of interiors – so surreal, full of colour and the closest thing to kiddy heaven I’ve ever seen!
Book your tickets well in advance, especially for weekend visits. The museum reaches full capacity on the weekends, so if you rather a less cramped visit then go on a weekday instead, but take note on Tuesdays they are closed.
Ah and lucky last, SCAI The Bathhouse in beautiful Yanaka. This bathhouse turned gallery in 1993 stands where there has been a bathhouse for two hundred years. Internationally renowned artists such as Genpei Akasegawa, Louise Bourgeois, Anish Kapoor, Julian Opie and Tadanori Yokoo have all exhibited here.
The area around the gallery is full of interesting sites and actually it’s probably one of my most favourite places in Tokyo to just wander around. I’m not normally a keen cemetery visitor but The Yanaka cemetery is quite beautiful and a peaceful place for an afternoon stroll. If cemeteries aren’t your thing that’s ok, because there is much more to see and taste around here. Like Tabi Bagels! Oooo, these are very yummy bagels and don’t the locals know it. A queue out the door and down the street is always a good sign that what’s inside must be worth waiting for. Tabi Bagel stays open until they are sold out of bagels, which isn’t very long. We were there when they opened and less than 1 hour later when we returned for more, they were closed. So best get there early!
Next to Tabi Bagel is a stretch of small and gorgeous shops, all definitely worth visiting including the lovely shop pictured below. And perched on the corner is another delicious find called atelier de florentina (pictured above). Here you’ll find the most delicious selection of handmade florentine bite-sized sweets to die for.
Below Shop D.cuir
Once you’re done there, just walk around the corner and check out Classico. It’s a beautiful shop that sells antiques, clothes, crafts and everyday objects. I bought a charming little ceramic bowl and was delighted with the way it was wrapped. The honeycomb paper wrapping not only looks good but acts as protective padding too. I must have shown excessive signs of enthusiasm for that wrapping because I was so generously given a few extra sheets to take home with me that day. Yay, one can never have too much paper, right?
There are quite a few craft stores in and around Yanaka so keep an eye open for them when you’re wandering around. And do wander around this place, the streets are full of interesting shops and lots of lovely little details.
Thanks so much to Ashley Rawlings & Craig Mod for taking the time to create something so useful for those of us not already familiar with the Tokyo art scene. If you would like to buy a copy of Art Space Tokyo you can do so via their website, here.
To see the newest arrivals to the Upon a Fold shop, including these beautiful paper vases by Torafu Architects in Japan, click here.
ori HIGASHIYA, now this place is something special. Special to me because I got to experience a truly authentic and traditional Japanese tea making ritual, right in the heart of Tokyo. But more tales about tea later, now it’s time to talk shop!
ori HIGASHIYA is a gift shop specialising in the traditional art of Japanese confectionery known as Wagashi. Expect to find an amazing selection of seasonal delights on display like little works of art, almost too good to eat. Well, almost!
Everything is packaged beautifully here and like many other shops in Tokyo, product presentation is considered as important as the product itself. So I (graphic designer with a soft spot for packaging) found myself selecting items based entirely on package design, with no idea what was inside. A great technique if you like surprises – opening each one later on, was definitely a lot of fun.
I wanted to visit this shop mostly to see the paper folded feature wall inside. You must all know by now, how crazy I am about folds and well, let me just say that this wall was quite spectacular. So many folds, so much papery goodness! The wall beside it was also remarkable, made from traditional Japanese wooden gift boxes that were stacked and out of alignment creating a truly amazing effect.
Expect to find paper throughout this shop. From the paper folded feature wall to the rice paper ceilings and the various types of paper packaging too. It’s not a paper shop but it’s definitely a place paper people (people who love paper : ) should come and see. I mean take a look at those folds below. So beautiful!
At the back of the shop is ori HIGASHIYA’s SABO or tearoom where you can enjoy the finest quality tea, sweets, sake, various cocktails made of Japanese fruit and herbs as well as a light lunch. The hardest part is deciding what to order because everything on the menu looks so darn good!
A trip to Tokyo is worth it just to experience the tea-making service at ori HIGASHIYA’s SABO, seriously! It’s so beautiful to observe and is performed to perfection. So many steps, so much care and consideration shown. Now every time I pour myself a cup of tea, I think of that afternoon tea in Tokyo and smile, it was one of the best experiences I had when I was there.
ori HIGASHIYA is the clever creation of Simplicity, a design company in Tokyo dedicated to creating places, where time-honored rituals can be enjoyed in a modern day setting. They are hugely successful in Tokyo and I’m not at all surprised because everything they produce is beautiful and of true artisan quality. Head over to the website and take a look at their other gorgeous brands including Simplicity Super Studio, a product range created by Simplicity and available to purchase in ori HIGASHIYA. It’s stunning and I’m swooning!
If you are around Ginza make sure to visit HIGASHIYA GINZA. It’s beautiful and has all the same delicious seasonal treats as ori HIGASHIYA. It’s easier to find as well. Just take the pristine white lift up to level 2 and enjoy the heavenly world of HIGASHIYA Wagashi!
A big thank you to Ayako for allowing me to take these photos of the gift shop and products at such short notice too and also for supplying images of the beautiful tearoom to use in this post.
ori HIGASHIYA
1F 3-16-28 Nishi-Azabu
Minato-ku Tokyo 106-0031
Click for location map
HIGASHIYA GINZA
2F 1-7-7 Ginza
Chuo-ku Tokyo 104-0061
Click for location map
Homeless (below), Knitting Girl (above)
Big Bra
These beautiful works are by Yoshikazu Yamagata.
I’ve been meaning to blog about these for some time now, but Tokyo kind of took over my life and blog! I still have so much of Tokyo to share, but a little ‘Tokyo break’ is in order me thinks ; ) So I hope you enjoy my little ‘break’ post, showcasing 20 of my favourite Carl Kleiner images. Above: The Bærtling Wannabe No.1
The Bærtling wannabe No.2
Everyday Geometry No.1 Series
Everyday Geometry No.2 Series
Everyday Geometry No.2 Series
Everyday Geometry No.2 Series
Everyday Geometry No.1 Series
Emotional Papers
Skanska Series
Skanska Series
Skanska Series
Untitled
Gustav Hammarsten – Café
Imaginary Drizzle
Odeur S/S 09
Skanska Series
Dagmar S/S 10 No.2
Ceremony (part 1)
Ceremony (part 2)
Enjoy looking through Carl Kleiner’s Diary here.
With World Cup footy fever in the air, I think it’s perfect timing to show you this amazing model stadium I saw, when visiting the InteriorLifestyle show last month in Tokyo. It’s the brilliant creation of architect and designer Naoki Terada and every little detail you see has been carefully considered and constructed by Naoki himself. What a champion!
Naoki Terada from Terada Design has a pretty impressive portfolio that includes designs for buildings, interiors, furniture, products, paper people and more. Yep, he is one of those super creative, talented people who somehow does it all!
The stadium is filled with little paper people. They are part of the 1/100 Architectural Model Accessories Series designed by Naoki Terada and this particular set is titled No.7 Football. The set includes 11 players plus reserves, a team manager, doctor, two referees, a goal and corner flag, whistle, yellow card, red card, ball, bench, drinking bottle, stretcher, first aid kit, scarf, ball bag and even a lost dog. Geez, Naoki has really thought of everything here!
I spent ages just staring at it all. In each and every corner was a little scene to be seen. Naoki even filled the outer stadium with little paper vending machines and people making their way into the stadium. There was activity wherever you looked, from a player being carried out on a stretcher to a monkey escaping onto the field. But it’s as if someone had pressed the pause button on lots of little separate scenes all happening at the same time.
Other settings in the Architectural Model Accessories series include a New York street, a Tokyo street, an office, a home and my very favourite, Inokashira Park Zoo which includes elephants, squirrels, swans, ducks, deers, monkeys and more.
Set No.1 Home/Family is available in the Upon a Fold shop and soon we will be adding more from the series.
Oh and also, coming soon will be some of Naoki’s brand new greeting cards. They are really brilliant! Check out this one below. I can’t wait to show you more. They really are unique little works of art.
The best part of show day for me was actually meeting Naoki Terada. I was a bit star struck I must admit, but managed to communicate in a cool and calm manner, how much I love his work. I felt really lucky and inspired. It’s not everyday you get to meet such talent, I mean look, even his business card is something special. And btw that stadium is for sale, so anyone interested should get in touch (with Naoki, not me)!
When it comes to international shipping, we really wish Australia was not so far away! But we are so happy to report that Upon a Fold now offers more affordable shipping rates for our international friends, YAY! We think it’s important you guys have access to all our paper goodies too (without paying crazy prices) so we have done our best to keep them as low as we can. We’ll continue to look into different ways we can offer the best shipping options out there (driving Oz Post crazy with our 101 questions) but in the meantime, please spread the word and thanks for all your support so far. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us here.
