SIDE GALLERY

New Exhibition! Now on View.

JAPANESE DESIGN II
Side Gallery. Barcelona
18 Jun 2026 - 25 Oct 2026

In the decades following World War II, Japan underwent a profound transformation. The rapid economic growth of the 1960s—often called the “Japanese Economic Miracle”—brought modernization, urbanization, and a growing middle class eager to embrace new ways of living. This period was marked by a national effort to rebuild not only the economy and infrastructure but also Japan’s cultural and aesthetic identity within a modern, global context. Design became a vital expression of this renewal, balancing technological progress with a deep respect for craft and tradition.

Within this dynamic environment, Japanese furniture design flourished as a bridge between the old and the new. Designers such as Isamu Kenmochi, Junzo Sakakura, Daisaku Choh, Riki Watanabe, Ubunji Kidokoro, or Katsuo Matsumura redefined the domestic landscape through objects that reflected both modern sensibilities and Japanese cultural values. Their work was shaped by the encounter between Western modernism ideas—introduced through contact with European and American design movements—and the principles of mingei, or folk craft, which celebrated the beauty of everyday, handcrafted objects.

By reintroducing these works in the contemporary context, Side Gallery invites a renewed appreciation for a design ethos that remains profoundly relevant today: one that understands simplicity as complexity distilled, and functionality as cultural expression.

New Exhibition! Now on View.

JAPANESE DESIGN II
Side Gallery. Barcelona
18 Jun 2026 - 25 Oct 2026

In the decades following World War II, Japan underwent a profound transformation. The rapid economic growth of the 1960s—often called the “Japanese Economic Miracle”—brought modernization, urbanization, and a growing middle class eager to embrace new ways of living. This period was marked by a national effort to rebuild not only the economy and infrastructure but also Japan’s cultural and aesthetic identity within a modern, global context. Design became a vital expression of this renewal, balancing technological progress with a deep respect for craft and tradition.

Within this dynamic environment, Japanese furniture design flourished as a bridge between the old and the new. Designers such as Isamu Kenmochi, Junzo Sakakura, Daisaku Choh, Riki Watanabe, Ubunji Kidokoro, or Katsuo Matsumura redefined the domestic landscape through objects that reflected both modern sensibilities and Japanese cultural values. Their work was shaped by the encounter between Western modernism ideas—introduced through contact with European and American design movements—and the principles of mingei, or folk craft, which celebrated the beauty of everyday, handcrafted objects.

By reintroducing these works in the contemporary context, Side Gallery invites a renewed appreciation for a design ethos that remains profoundly relevant today: one that understands simplicity as complexity distilled, and functionality as cultural expression.