Craft objects are adorned with various forms of decoration. The decorative patterns found in craft embody histories nurtured over long years and carry a wide range of meanings. Decorative motifs embellish objects, stimulate our imagination, and convey a range of messages.

For craft artists in the modern period, how to decorate an object was a matter of vital importance. However, with the spread of minimalist design, decoration seems to have become regarded as less central. In recent years, on the other hand, artists have emerged whose work features ornamentation carried to the point of excess. For these artists, the desire to decorate—the act of decorating itself—is the driving force behind their creation. This phenomenon may be seen as having a parallel in trends like deco-den, the lavish decoration of mobile phones with rhinestones.

In this exhibition, we invite adults and children to explore craft by focusing together on decoration as a way of discovering the appeal of craft objects. Decoration provides a key to interpreting craft while simultaneously reflecting the aesthetic sensibilities that Japanese people have cultivated within their cultural milieu.