知る人ぞ知る、 IYKYK | Mitsui Fine Arts

知る人ぞ知る, IYKYK

ONLINE EXHIBITION

T H R O U G H OCTOBER 21st
Press Release:

The phrase 知る人ぞ知る(shiruhitozoshiru) is similar to the saying IYKYK, “if you know you know”, in Japanese. When used in the context of collecting art, it implies building up a vast library of knowledge that allows you to notice those works that are often overlooked or buried by popular trends and mainstream culture. The phrase reflects how we at Mitsui Fine Arts select pieces from our culture and introduce them to you.
This exhibition features a selection of 知る人ぞ知る (shiruhitozoshiru) works, dating from mid-1700’s to early 1900’s Japan.

They are exquisite Sometsuke plates by an unnamed artisan, each with a delightful carp with an attitude painted boldly on its surface (first image); humble bamboo letter baskets, made by a master with a life-long mastery over his craft (second image); a scroll painting capturing a precise moment of the moon floating in the sky (third image); or a set of red Gosu glazed tea cups made by a member of Rosanjin Kitaoji’s pottery studio – a man who devoted decades into mixing and making the perfect red glaze (top, shown in banner).
Japanese culture has never had a clear distinction between fine art, the highest level of craft, and design.

Whether it be fine art, design, or the highest level of crafts, in our eyes, these denominations are essentially one and the same; each has the same latent potential to produce masterful works. They all have the power to move us.
Artworks in Exhibition:
PAST EXHIBITIONS:

Clay Fire Stone

The Stories of Textiles

non-monumental works

Silent Roar