Burberry Launches Young Japan-based Artists Program 'YJA' to Showcase Works by Kenryou Gu and Yoko Daihara
Burberry launches the 'YJA' program to introduce young Japanese artists, featuring works by Kenryou Gu and Yoko Daihara at the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art.Summary
Burberry, a leading British luxury brand, has announced a new commissioning program called 'YJA (Young Japan-based Artists)' to introduce artists based in Japan. This initiative aims to reinterpret the spirit of the 'Young British Artists (YBA)' of the 1990s, who brought innovative creativity to the UK, from a contemporary perspective. The selected artists are Kenryou Gu and Yoko Daihara. Gu employs digital weaving techniques to intersect concepts of climate and time with the perception of landscapes. Meanwhile, Daihara expresses outdoor elements non-linearly and tactically through textiles and wool. Their respective works are being exhibited in the entrance area of the new East Mountain Cube at the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art as a related program to the Tate Museum exhibition 'Tate — YBA & BEYOND: British Art of the 90s That Changed the World,' which runs from June 3 to September 6. Burberry supports this exhibition in collaboration with Tate and the British Council. The 'YJA' program is derived from this initiative, aiming to reconstruct the innovation and challenging spirit embodied by the YBA within a new context of Japan. Both Gu and Daihara focus on nature as their subject, exploring the relationship between humans and the environment. This perspective aligns with Burberry's long-standing interest in the 'outdoors.' Furthermore, the textile manipulation and weaving techniques used by both artists resonate deeply with the brand's tradition, which gave birth to gabardine.
(Source：Tokyo Art Beat)