Report on the Opening of the Exhibition "Two Africas, Universe of Handcrafts" (Setagaya Art Museum): "Another Africa" Nurtured in Daily Life
Setagaya Art Museum hosts an exhibition showcasing African crafts collected by Junzo Kawada and Machiko Ogawa.Summary
The Setagaya Art Museum has opened the exhibition "Two Africas, Universe of Handcrafts," featuring the collection of anthropologist Junzo Kawada (1934–2024) and ceramic artist Machiko Ogawa (1946–).
The exhibition showcases approximately 350 items, including gourd vessels, woven baskets, textiles, pottery, wood carvings, masks, musical instruments, and paintings. These items were collected during fieldwork and daily life in West Africa, primarily in Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta), starting in the 1970s. This marks the first time the vast collection, exceeding 600 items, is being comprehensively investigated and presented to the public.
Rather than classifying the items strictly as ethnographic materials, the exhibition seeks to interpret the worldview behind these handicrafts through the lens of Kawada's writings and Ogawa's aesthetic sensibilities.
(Source：美術手帖)