Participating in the Hachisuka Masakatsu 500th Anniversary Exhibition.

— Manji-mon Kousou Tray —
A pattern emerging in the light.

The pattern quietly emerges depending on the angle of the light.
It is not something carved, but something that appears.

MORI KOUGEI is participating in the exhibition marking the 500th anniversary of Hachisuka Masakatsu’s birth,
and will present a special product created for this occasion, the Manji-mon Kousou Tray.

Five hundred years of the Hachisuka family.

Five hundred years have passed since the birth of Hachisuka Masakatsu in 1526.
Having lived through the Sengoku period and laid the foundation in Awa, the legacy of the Hachisuka family continues to live on in the land and culture of Tokushima.

This exhibition, led by photographer Shunpei Osugi, brings together master artisans from Tokushima and Kyoto,
reconstructing five centuries of history through contemporary expression.

While MORI KOUGEI will not be present at the venue,

through the Manji-mon Kousou Tray created for this project,
we express the materials and craftsmanship of Awa, as well as the layers of time.

The expression of Manji-mon Kousou.

At the core of this work is an original pattern called Manji-mon Kousou.

Using the Hachisuka family crest, the manji, as its structural element,
it is meticulously composed solely from straight-grain Awa cedar, with the direction of the wood grain carefully varied.

Though made from the same material and the same color,
the pattern emerges depending on how the light falls.

What appears within it are the meanings of the manji—
“continuity” and “cycle”—
as well as the layering of five hundred years of time.

Awa cedar and indigo.

The material used is Awa cedar, a symbol of Tokushima’s natural environment.
The wood surface is dyed with natural indigo.

Indigo developed as a key industry in Awa during the era of the Hachisuka family,
supporting the culture of this region.

Wood and indigo—
both are materials that deepen over time.

By layering the two,
we sought to create a quiet expression with depth.

The process of making.

Each small piece of wood is cut out one by one,
its grain aligned, shifted, and assembled.

Even the slightest difference in angle greatly affects how the light is ultimately perceived.

This work is also the very process of layering over time,
while carefully reading the subtle differences inherent in the material itself.

About the exhibition.

In this exhibition, photography, craftsmanship, and spatial design intersect,
creating a space where five hundred years of time can be experienced.

MORI KOUGEI’s work will also be displayed in a way that quietly changes its expression in the light,
blending seamlessly into the space.

We invite you to experience it at the venue.

 

Exhibition Information

In closing.

Five hundred years is not something ostentatious,
but something quietly accumulated over time.

Manji-mon Kousou is an attempt to express the nature of that time
through the relationship between light and material.

We invite you to experience the work in person.