Creating a small window into a wealth of ideas
"They blend into the space so well that you don't even notice their presence, and yet when you see them, your mood lifts a little. I like works that shine in a way that has nothing to do with their usefulness or economic value."
So says distiller Hiroshi Eguchi. The entrance hall of his home is an open-air space, and several pieces of art are displayed on the staircase. The smallest are the size of postcards, and the largest are only 50cm tall. They are like windows that capture various views.
"I wanted this to be a place where my family could gather. I built bookshelves on the walls and thought up places to sit...and as I was doing that, I thought it would be nice to have some paintings I liked, so I bought some and exchanged them. The first floor is my workplace and the second floor is my home, so it helps me to switch my mindset and know that the wall with the painting is where 'home' begins."
The three works on display, large and small, are lithographs by architect and artist Nigel Peake.
"The style of his work, which has no sense of perspective, is interesting. His large works look like patterns, but in fact they depict the view from a window. The moment you realize this, the narrow streets and buildings of the city suddenly pop up in your head, and it feels really good."
Surrounding it are prints by Ronan Bouroullec and Akihiro Kumagai, as well as paper cutouts by Yuko Yamamoto and two-dimensional works by Mitsuru Koga.
"Koga-kun's art, in which he unravels electric wires to create the shape of leaves, really moves me, wondering how he could come up with something like that. What's great about it is that the information you see is simple, yet you can sense a wealth of ideas. That said, it's not that I want to gain anything from it. It's simply a pleasant feeling to come into contact with things that I would never have thought of on my own."
Nigel Peake, Yuko Yamamoto, Mitsuru Koga, Akihiro Kumagai, Ronan Bouroullec
1: Nigel Peake / Born in Northern Ireland in 1981. An architect, he focuses on urban landscapes and nature. In addition to delicate linework drawings, he has also recently produced lithographs. A huge book lover, he has also created small pieces themed around bookmarks.
2: Yamamoto Yuko / Born in Tokyo in 1977. Illustrator. Her paper-cutting series, themed on apples and other fruits, has a freshness that even evokes the texture of the food. She is also a member of the mitosaya Herb Garden Distillery, where she produces jams and teas.
3. Mitsuru Koga / Born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1980. Sculpture artist. His works include PAINT CAN, a three-dimensional work made from metal plates and painted paint. He takes everyday materials and shapes and gives them new expressions.
4: Kumagaya Akihiro / Born in Tokyo in 1984. Designer and director. Since 2020, he has been creating his unique woodgrain prints, "OBJECTS," which depict the shape of wood using the wood grain as a printing block. This is both art that reinterprets traditional techniques and pop design.
5. Ronan Bouroullec: Born in France in 1971. The elder brother of the Bouroullec brothers, darlings of the modern furniture world. He currently pursues solo activities such as drawing. His lithographs, which he produced at the Paris printing studio Idem Paris together with Idée Shop, are also popular.
Stefan Marx
Stefan Marx / Born in Germany in 1979. An illustrator based in Berlin. Known for his unique skateboard-themed drawings, he is also a book lover who has stayed in various countries around the world and created zines based on the towns he visited.
