t-b-d Opens, Featuring Nordic Art Ceramics and Crafts

t-b-d | BIOTOP

Now Showing: "COLLECTiON ARABIA & Höganäs ART CERAMICS" Exhibition

A New Shop Introduces Nordic Culture from a Fresh Perspective

This month marks the opening of "t-b-d," a shop specializing in Nordic art ceramics and crafts that can be enjoyed as contemporary interior pieces, alongside products with a lingering sense of craftsmanship. It also features items made in Japan that harmonize with Nordic tableware and furniture, already familiar in modern Japanese homes.

Photographs by MAEDA KeiText by KAJII Makoto (OPENERS)

Focusing on the Nordic Climate and Ethnography That Gave Birth to Widely Appreciated Products

Masato Tsukiji, buyer and representative of biotope, which operates t-b-d, explains, "Before opening t-b-d, I visited the Nordic countries. As the shop's name suggests, I select items that resonate with me and that I find beautiful, without a set theme, embracing the serendipity of each encounter. At t-b-d, we've gathered not just the keywords often associated with Nordic design—functional beauty, simplicity, sustainability—but also pieces strongly influenced by climate and ethnography, and those that showcase the artist's unique personality."

"These are items that can be enjoyed more deeply now, as Nordic lifestyles and craftsmanship have permeated Japanese living. Furthermore, through monthly events with specific themes, we introduce not only artists and brands but also the unique charms of each item, exploring their ethnographic and regional contexts, and production backgrounds from a fresh perspective."

First Art Ceramics Event Underway

The "COLLECTiON ARABIA & Höganäs ART CERAMICS" exhibition, held at t-b-d until November 3, 2015 (Tuesday), features vintage items collected during trips to Finland and Sweden this past summer. The lineup includes art ceramic works from "Arabia Artdepartment" (1950s-1970s) and "Höganäs Keramik."

Arabia Artdepartment was established in 1932 within Finland's Arabia company as an artistic division, created as a space for designers to pursue creative freedom without the constraints of mass production. Consequently, it produced many highly artistic works showcasing individual designers' talents, albeit in limited quantities. Currently, eight talented artists, including Toini Muona and Heini Riitahuhta, are part of the department.

Höganäs Keramik was founded in 1909 as a new venture by the coal mining company Höganäs, in the southern Swedish region of Scania. It was established by master potter Johannes Olsson and glazer Sigfrid Johansson. Artists such as Sigurd Persson-Mellin and Åke Holm created works there, and the company has been highly acclaimed for its use of high-quality local clay from Höganäs since its inception.