Pokémon as inspiration for craft art

For most people in Japan and abroad, Pocket Monsters are unambiguously fun characters in a video game or manga or anime, but for some contemporary Japanese craft artists, they can also be a source of inspiration. An exhibition running at the National Crafts Museum (Kanazawa) aims to prove the point.

POKÉMON X KOGEI
Playful Encounters of Pokémon and Japanese Craft

Mar 21 (Tue) – Jun 11 (Sun), 2023

National Crafts Museum
(Kanazawa, Ishikawa Pref.)

*See outline below for more info

“POKÉMON X KOGEI — Playful Encounters of Pokémon and Japanese Craft,” running through June 11 (2023) in the prefectural capital of Ishikawa, showcases craft work produced by 20 contemporary kogei (Japanese craft) artists — including designated Living National Treasure (preserver of important intangible cultural properties) KATSURA Morihito (metal works) — for this exhibition, all of which are based on well known Pokémon characters like Pikachu and Jolteon.

The idea of putting together kogei and Pokémon came from The Pokémon Company (Tokyo):

“Calling on the artists to take on Pokémon, we wanted to ignite their creativity. It was also our hope that the chemistry between art and Pokémon would generate a rich experience that many people might enjoy.”

“Kogei includes a wide variety of materials and techniques, and each artist has a unique approach and expression. We invite you to look and feel how the 20 artists interpreted Pokémon and experience the beauty and skill they applied to it.”

The Pokémon Company

Among the 70 or so works on display are “Pikachu’s Adventures in a Forest” by textile artist SUDO Reiko, “Charizard/Shigaraki Jar” by ceramicist MASUMOTO Keiko and “Transformable ornament, Rookidee/Corviknight” by metal work artist TSUBOSHIMA Yuki.

Some of the works on display:

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Traveling to Kanazawa in the Hokuriku Region from Tokyo is just as easy as getting to Osaka (or Shin Osaka Station) in the Kansai Region on a bullet train (Shinkansen). The National Crafts Museum in the city is only a few minutes walk away from Kenroku-en, which happens to be one of Japan’s three most beautiful landscape gardens. If your plan is to visit the garden, the museum is a justifiable stop on your way there, or on your way back.

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