Challenging the notion of "craft = cozy" with contemporary sensibility

Last autumn, "CRAFT REAL: We like Grcic!" was held at "Elephant," a shop near Omotesando. This event, meaning "CRAFT REAL" as the physical store for the web shop "craft_one," also carried a secondary interpretation inspired by the 2009 "DESIGN REAL" exhibition in London (curated by designer Konstantin Grcic, which selected and displayed diverse designs under the keyword "real"), and was well-received.

This week, the second "CRAFT REAL" event is being held at a new location: Shibuya Hikarie ShinQs 5F. The organizers, "craft_one" and "Elephant," have set the theme as "Items to Pair with Nordic Design from Approximately 50 Years Ago." craft_one's predecessor, the shop "craft," opened on Meguro Dori in 2000, primarily dealing in vintage Nordic tableware. Elephant also fits within this lineage.





However, as the content of the previous CRAFT REAL demonstrated, their selections are based on contemporary relevance. In fact, craft_one primarily handles practical items by emerging designers such as Konstantin Grcic, Scholten & Baijings, and Pauline Deltour. Their unique sensibility, bridging iconic Nordic vintage pieces with contemporary design, will be showcased once again on this occasion.

Coincidentally, this weekend also sees the Matsumoto Craft Fair, a major craft event. The venue for this exhibition is "Craft Bureau," a popular spot within Hikarie. In this context, the selections by craft_one and Elephant, with their distinct perspective, are poised to shed new light on the very concept of craft.