4 Days Where the "Technique" of 57 Artisans and the "Beauty" of the Era Intersect. "KO+GEI 2026" Opens May 21 at Tokyo Art Club
The exhibition "KO+GEI 2026" will be held from May 21-24, 2026, at the Tokyo Art Club, featuring works by 57 carefully selected contemporary craft artists. Fashion designer NIGO® will participate as a judge, and artworks will be available for purchase via lottery.
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The exhibition "KO+GEI 2026," which presents the current state of crafts rooted in Japanese tradition, climate, and aesthetics to the world, will be held for four days from Thursday, May 21, to Sunday, May 24, 2026, at the Tokyo Art Club (Minato-ku, Tokyo). Launched in 2024 by the Tokyo Art Club—which has supported Japanese art culture for nearly 120 years since its establishment in 1907—this exhibition features works that fuse and sublimate two elements: "Ko" (craft/technique) representing handiwork inherited through tradition, and "Gei" (art) born from the deeply original consciousness of each artist. Admission is free.
For this edition, fashion designer NIGO® joins as a new special prize judge. He will generate a new context where crafts intersect with contemporary culture. Furthermore, during the exhibition on Friday, May 22, the first international symposium "KOGEI GENE" will be held as part of the "Creator Support Project" commissioned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Japan Arts Council. This symposium will outline a new path for Japanese art to be properly evaluated and circulated in the overseas market. These four days will allow visitors to experience the beauty of crafts through all five senses, including gallery talks and tea ceremonies using vessels crafted by participating artists.
## Works by 57 Carefully Selected Contemporary Craft Artists Gathered! Newly Added: Two Japanese Swords
This second edition will bring together the wholehearted works of 57 artists in total: 7 invited artists leading the contemporary craft world, and 50 highly anticipated recommended artists attracting global attention. Having deepened through its first exhibition in 2024 and the Kyoto exhibition in November 2025, "KO+GEI" now features ceramics, lacquerware, and metalwork, plus the new addition of two Japanese swords, offering a broader perspective on the diverse expressions of Japanese crafts. In addition to direct purchases at the venue, exhibited works can also be purchased online. Even first-time visitors can enjoy the experience of encountering new artworks and "buying art" (all works will be sold by lottery).
Invited Artists (7 members) (Japanese alphabetical order)
Ryuichi Kakurezaki, Hisako Sekijima, Yoshinori Tsuchiya, Masahiro Maeda, Ryo Mikami, Kyusetsu Miwa XIII, Shinya Yamamura
Recommended Artists (50 members) (Japanese alphabetical order)
Yasuhiro Asai, Hideto Ito, Wataru Ito, Koichi Uchida, Rina Uchida, Xueyang Wang, Momoo Omuro, Sadanobu Gassan, Takahiro Kato, Ryotaro Kato, Kentaro Kawabata, Kan Kishino, Satoshi Kino, Keiko Kume, Mitsuru Koga, Runa Osogawa, Kenji Gomi, Takayuki Sakiyama, Ryuhei Sako, Yuko Sawada, Shuzo Shingu, Suna Fujita, Miao Sun, Nami Takahashi, Riki Tanaka, Shingo Tsukuda, Eri Dewa, Sanae Tokita, Koji Toda, Kenta Toyomi, Akito Niisato, Keikou Nishimura, Kansai Noguchi, Masaya Hashimoto, Makiko Hattori, Ryuta Fukumura, Kosei Fujikawa, Shinya Hongo, Toshiya Masuda, Yoshiko Masumoto, Keita Matsunaga, Masayasu Mitsuke, Haruo Mitsuta, Akira Miyairi, Mai Miyake, Taro Miwa, Yohi Muta, Taiichiro Yoshida, Rei Rusu, Makoto Wada
Introduction of Exhibited Works (7 Invited Artists)
For this edition, fashion designer NIGO® joins as a new special prize judge. He will generate a new context where crafts intersect with contemporary culture. Furthermore, during the exhibition on Friday, May 22, the first international symposium "KOGEI GENE" will be held as part of the "Creator Support Project" commissioned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Japan Arts Council. This symposium will outline a new path for Japanese art to be properly evaluated and circulated in the overseas market. These four days will allow visitors to experience the beauty of crafts through all five senses, including gallery talks and tea ceremonies using vessels crafted by participating artists.
## Works by 57 Carefully Selected Contemporary Craft Artists Gathered! Newly Added: Two Japanese Swords
This second edition will bring together the wholehearted works of 57 artists in total: 7 invited artists leading the contemporary craft world, and 50 highly anticipated recommended artists attracting global attention. Having deepened through its first exhibition in 2024 and the Kyoto exhibition in November 2025, "KO+GEI" now features ceramics, lacquerware, and metalwork, plus the new addition of two Japanese swords, offering a broader perspective on the diverse expressions of Japanese crafts. In addition to direct purchases at the venue, exhibited works can also be purchased online. Even first-time visitors can enjoy the experience of encountering new artworks and "buying art" (all works will be sold by lottery).
Invited Artists (7 members) (Japanese alphabetical order)
Ryuichi Kakurezaki, Hisako Sekijima, Yoshinori Tsuchiya, Masahiro Maeda, Ryo Mikami, Kyusetsu Miwa XIII, Shinya Yamamura
Recommended Artists (50 members) (Japanese alphabetical order)
Yasuhiro Asai, Hideto Ito, Wataru Ito, Koichi Uchida, Rina Uchida, Xueyang Wang, Momoo Omuro, Sadanobu Gassan, Takahiro Kato, Ryotaro Kato, Kentaro Kawabata, Kan Kishino, Satoshi Kino, Keiko Kume, Mitsuru Koga, Runa Osogawa, Kenji Gomi, Takayuki Sakiyama, Ryuhei Sako, Yuko Sawada, Shuzo Shingu, Suna Fujita, Miao Sun, Nami Takahashi, Riki Tanaka, Shingo Tsukuda, Eri Dewa, Sanae Tokita, Koji Toda, Kenta Toyomi, Akito Niisato, Keikou Nishimura, Kansai Noguchi, Masaya Hashimoto, Makiko Hattori, Ryuta Fukumura, Kosei Fujikawa, Shinya Hongo, Toshiya Masuda, Yoshiko Masumoto, Keita Matsunaga, Masayasu Mitsuke, Haruo Mitsuta, Akira Miyairi, Mai Miyake, Taro Miwa, Yohi Muta, Taiichiro Yoshida, Rei Rusu, Makoto Wada
Introduction of Exhibited Works (7 Invited Artists)