2025.9.30-10.20
la Galerie du 19M Tokyo
Special Exhibition “Beyond Our Horizons”
Holding from September 30 to October 20, on the 52nd floor of Roppongi Hills Mori Tower at Tokyo City View & Mori Arts Center Gallery, the exhibition “la Galerie du 19M Tokyo” showcased the artisanship of France and Japan.
Kayo Tokuda, in collaboration with CHANEL and le19M, had served as a member of the Editorial Committee—bringing a deep understanding of Japanese and French artisanship as well as the cultures and philosophies behind them—and co-curated the special exhibition “Beyond Our Horizons” together with Momoko Ando, Yoichi Nishio, Shinichiro Ogata, and Aska Yamashita.
In addition, Shunya Hashizume was responsible for the exhibition’s scenography. Together with Atelier Kokonoma, we designed les Ateliers and le Rendez-vous, which were constructed by Fujimori Komuten, a company specializing in traditional sukiya architecture. La Foret space was created in collaboration with wooden artisan Shuji Nakagawa.
<Artisans & Artists>
A.A. Murakami, Atelier Kokonoma, Ousmane Bâ, Design Tochi, Eiraku Zengoro, Julian Farade, Fujimori Koumuten, Fujita Gasodo, Pauline Guerrier, Daisuke Igarashi, Clara Imbert, Akiko Ishigaki, Kamisoe, Kanazawa Moku Seisakusho, Aya Kawato, Harumi Klossowska de Rola, Kojima Shoten, konomad (Tomihiro Kono / Sayaka Maruyama), Thomas Mailaender, Yoshiki Masuda, Haruo Mitsuta, Shuji Nakagawa, Simone Pheulpin, Helena Roux-Dessarps, Morihisa Suzuki, Takamuro Tatami Kogyosho, Noritaka Tatehana, Xavier Veilhan, Nick Wood
The eleven Maisons d'art at le19M who gather a unique community of exceptional artisans and experts - Atelier Montex, Desrues, Goossens, Lemarié, Atelier Lognon, Lesage, Lesage Intérieurs, Maison Michel, Massaro, Paloma, Studio MTX
All photos by Satoshi Nagare.
le Rendez-vous
Titled le Rendez-vous, the Meeting House stands as a symbol of Beyond Our Horizons, a collaborative effort between the brilliant artisanship of sukiya artisans and those who gather at the ateliers of le19M.
The techniques cultivated by the artisans of le19M over their long history have been refined beyond the making of garments, elevated to an architectural scale through collaborations with Japanese craftspeople. Their sophisticated beauty is embodied in every detail of the works—tatami mats, shoji screens, and doorhandles—where tradition and innovation resonate together, creating a space that reflects the artisans’ finely honed sensibilities and mastery.
At the front, 28 curved glass panels—drawing inspiration from Gabrielle Chanel’s apartment—frame the view like a borrowed landscape, reflecting both le Rendez-vous space and the cityscape of Tokyo beyond.
“Tweed Tatami”
Takamuro Tatami Kogyosho × Lesage
The cloth-lined borders that colored the edges of tatami mats not only divided the space, but also served the purpose of conveying aesthetic impressions, customs, and etiquette through their patterns and color. Dividing the 38 tatami mats crafted by Takamuro Tatami Kogyosho was the artistic tweed work of ACT3, the manufacture of Lesage, based in the south of France. The woven textiles, crafted by artisans breathing new life into traditional materials, met the rush grass of the tatami mats, the interplay of these two contrasting materials expanded across the entire space (Left photo.)
“Sun and Moon”
Desrues
The doorhandles, which commanded a striking presence within the sukiya, were imbued with a playfulness and elegance, embodying simplicity and creative thinking. Inspired by the theme of “Eclipse,” the techniques and aesthetics that typically adorned clothing and accessories were reimagined as a cosmic gesture that radiated throughout the gathering hall, mirroring the sun’s phases on the wooden doors to the east and west (Right photo).
“Nature Through the Seasons”
Atelier Montex × Lesage Intérieurs × Fujita Gasodo
Brilliantly adorning the shoji screens of the gathering hall was the exquisite savoir-faire of two of France’s leading ateliers: Atelier Montex and Lesage Intérieurs.
As if to add a musical score to this visual interplay, Kyo Hyogu master Fujita Gasodo embellished the shoji screens with organdie embroidery that depicted landscapes from Japan and France (Left photo).
“Cloud of Thunder God”
Goossens × Yoshiki Masuda
Entry steps inspired by clouds orchestrated by the god of thunder greeted visitors at the entrance of the gathering hall high up in the sky. Sculptor Yoshiki Masuda rendered the undulating clouds, while Goossens introduced an ornament taking the form of a lightning bolt. The interplay between the energies of nature and handcrafted forms in the entry steps guided visitors into an exceptional space of tranquility, serving as a threshold between the ordinary world outside and the extraordinary one within (Right photo).
“la Foret”
The forest has existed as a sacred realm for life and spirits. Lining the path were trees crafted by Shuji Nakagawa, a master craftsman who continues to innovate within the centuries-old tradition of making oke, or wooden buckets.
During Beyond Our Horizons, a Forest of Creation briefly appeared in the center of Tokyo, on the 52nd floor, 218 meters above ground. There, we presented works by creators who face the vastness of nature every day in their creative pursuits.
“Spring Goddess Saho, Shishi Dance, Autumn Goddess Tatsuta”
Paloma × Daisuke Igarashi
Mountains embodied beauty, abundance, awe, and mystery. Manga artist Daisuke Igarashi’s signature depictions of nature treated it as a living spirit, not as a backdrop. In this exhibition, quiet miracles of nature and humans momentarily melding together were conjured through spring, summer, and autumn landscapes where trees, plants, animals, and humans coexist harmoniously.
In this world, Paloma added the element of water, a symbol of life, to Igarashi’s world. For this project, Igarashi worked with silk for the first time, and in his fantastical world, Paloma’s artisanship transformed soft materials into three-dimensional expressions, giving the work a tactile sense of depth.
"Trunk"
Shuji Nakagawa
“Leiko, from “Croissance” series”
Goossens × Simone Pheulpin (Right photo)
“Butterfly Crown”, “Athene Noctua, Ame-no-kaku”
Goossens × Harumi Klossowska de Rola (Left photo)
Within the hollow trunks crafted by Nakagawa, treasures such as insects, animals, and minerals quietly gazed back at visitors. As they strolled slowly through this forest of creation, it felt as if the joyful dialogue between nature and humans echoed through the trees.
“Okinawa”
Lognon × Design Tochi
Ajiro-weaving traced its origins to fishing tools and mats crafted from bamboo and other woods. This exquisite woven pattern later evolved into the traditional Japanese technique known as a ajiro-bari.
Each piece was made from natural nezuko (Japanese arborvitae) grown in Kiso, split and shaved by hand from wood over 300 years old, densely packed with growth rings. It was a craft that had no successors and may soon disappear.
Inspired by its pattern, Lognon applied pleats using “Okinawa” mold—one of their collections said to be inspired by Japan—onto a brown color cotton fabric woven by Design Tochi.
The handloom crafted by Design Tochi was used during the exhibition period by artisans to create a rug through sakiori weaving, using kibiso silk from Tango and yarns provided by le19M.
“Glazed Tea Bowl-Pine Tree”, “Unglazed Black Bowl” and “Braided Pine Tree”
Atelier Montex × Eiraku Zengoro
Since the late Muromachi period, the Eiraku family has been crafting summer tea utensils and clay furnaces across generations as one of the Senke Jusshoku, the ten designated artisan families providing utensils for the Senke Schools of Japanese tea.
The 18th generation Eiraku Zengoro aspires to revive the use of doburo, a wind furnace, in tea ceremonies - a tradition that had disappeared after the Meiji period - while also exploring contemporary modes of expression. In this work, he collaborated with Atelier Montex to create a spatial installation.
The branches and leaves painted on the teacups extend into the surrounding space, while a bowl crafted using the doburo technique, with its surface finished in a deep, urushi-lacquered black reminiscent of the night sky, stood watch.
“Flower Tsuitate”
Lemarié × Kamisoe × Fujita Gasodo × Kanazawa Moku Seisakusho
Adorning the paper room were corsages by Lemarié and karakami artisan Kamisoe. In this exhibition, a botanical pattern designed by Lemarié was carved into woodblocks by Kanazawa Moku Seisakusho, and special karakami paper was made using traditional techniques by Kamisoe. The paper was then applied—also using traditional methods—by Fujita Gasodo onto a Tsuitate crafted by Kanazawa Moku Seisakusho, who are also carpenter.
Together, they created a space that resonates with Lemarié’s corsages. Each petal of the corsage embodied the artisan’s aesthetic sensibility, unfolding gracefully from the tsuitate like a blossoming flower, adding a touch of poetry to the wearer.
“Basho Noren”, “Tweed Noren”
Lesage × Akiko Ishigaki
Akiko Ishigaki works intimately with the nature of Iriomote Island, cultivating plantain and ramie to craft one-of-a-kind fabrics dyed with plants and trees.
For this exhibition, Ishigaki collaborated with the textile department of Lesage, the world-renowned atelier for embroidery and tweed, to create noren curtains themed around “what can only be made by hand.”
The two artisans exchanged threads with each other and, using both sets of threads, created a pair of twin-like noren curtains. They quietly welcome visitors to the machiya, which also served as a workshop.
le Rendez-vous
la Foret
les Ateliers
