(image above) The exhibition venue / Photo: ToLoLo studio
Sakan plasterwork is a technique for plastering walls that has been in use in Japan for around 1,300 years. Using natural materials such as sand, lime, straw and earthen soils or clays, these walls are created not by machine, but by hand, and are used in chashitsu — buildings where Japanese tea ceremonies are performed. In 2020, sakan was added by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an element of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Syuhei Hasado is not only preserving the traditional technique, but is also developing it further in the form of beautiful designs that are artworks in their own right.
He is one of Japan’s leading sakan craftsmen, with numerous accomplishments domestically and abroad. His wall art, which can be found in such places as The Peninsula Tokyo Hotel, Aman Tokyo Hotel and Haneda Airport, delights visitors from both Japan and all around the world. In 2013, he also struck a chord with people with his solo exhibition at the Rogue Space Chelsea gallery in New York.
Hasado even experimented with creating works that utilized stenciling techniques for this exhibition. He covered the entire 500 m2 of the venue floor in a layer of soil, with his creations emerging, dreamlike, from that stratum. The entirety of the space became an installation shaped by Hasado’s hand.
This exhibition allows visitors to enjoy an up-close and personal experience with earth, water and light as part of the philosophy of returning to nature, contrasted with the fact that it is held in a warehouse nestled among the tightly packed buildings of urban Tokyo. It has attracted a variety of visitors from the very first day, including people involved in the art industry, Japanese culture enthusiasts, and many more.
Hasado’s exhibiting works/ “Taifu ikka no seiten” (Up) and “Silk Road” (Down)
Photo: ToLoLo studio
Photo: ToLoLo studio
Photo: ToLoLo studio
Exhibition Overview
Title: Syuhei Hasado “Falling upon the soil”
Dates: January 21st (Sat) – February 14th (Tue), 2023
Venue: Warehouse TERRADA G3-6F (2-6-10 Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 140-0002)
Open hours: 12:30 PM – 5:30 PM (Last admission at 5:00 PM)
Entry fee: Free
Organizer: Phenomena Planning (Shokuninsha Syuhei-gumi), Warehouse TERRADA
Cooperation: Ikue Kondo, Yosuke Tsuga
Graphic: Kohei Sekigawa
* The schedule may vary depending on the impact of the infection.
Key visual for the exhibition
About Syuhei Hasado
Representative of the Shokuninsha Syuhei-gumi Company. Born in Takayama city, Gifu, in 1962, Syuhei Hasado is a second-generation sakan plasterer. He learned his craft in Kumamoto and Nagoya, among other places. In 1983, he won first place in the plastering category of the National Skills Competition at the age of 21. He has since returned to his hometown, working on-site at museums, hotels and more for his father’s company.
In 2001, he established Shokuninsha Syuhei-gumi Company. By harnessing the qualities and colors of earth, sand, lime, and straw, Hasado creates walls that tell a story. He also creates works of art made from earth. Hasado has worked with The Peninsula Tokyo Hotel, Aman Tokyo Hotel, the JAL First Class Lounge at Haneda International Airport, and Tokyo Equestrian Park, as well as the title calligraphy and title backdrop for NHK’s Taiga drama television series Sanada Maru.
Syuhei Hasado / Photo: Takashi Imai
Hasado’s tools
– Major Works
G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit
JAL First Class Lounge at Haneda International Airport
Aman TOKYO
Japan Post Otemachi
Works to date: https://www.syuhei.jp/works
About Warehouse TERRADA
Established in 1950 and located in Tennoz, Tokyo, Warehouse TERRADA has since expanded into a wide range of fields, with a primary focus on the storage of artworks, which launched in 1975, as well as artwork restoration, transportation, and exhibitions. In 2014, we began operating a bonded warehouse for artworks. We established a new bonded warehouse in the spring of 2022, which we opened as a permanent bonded gallery venue that allows for viewings, storage and more under bonded conditions. We offer foreign and domestic art collectors opportunities to purchase artworks and give overseas galleries a chance to expand their presence in Japan. We also operate art studios that are available for rent as well as hosting the ART AWARD, supporting younger artists. These initiatives earned us the Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award in 2018. In recent years, Warehouse TERRADA has opened several facilities that promote art and culture, including the collectors’ museum of contemporary art “WHAT MUSEUM”, art gallery cafe “WHAT CAFE”, art materials lab “PIGMENT TOKYO” and TERRADA ART COMPLEX, one of Japan’s largest gallery complexes. Through these broad-ranging art industry operations, and as a leading company in the Japanese art world, we provide services that will play a role in revitalizing its art market and develop Tennoz, Tokyo, as a hub of art together with other cities around the world.
Company name: Warehouse TERRADA
Representative: President & CEO, Kohei Terada
Address: 2-6-10 Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 140-0002
Foundation: October 1950
URL: https://www.terrada.co.jp/en
Exhibition Inquiries
Warehouse TERRADA Art Project Planning & Promotion Dept.
E-MAIL: artpj@terrada.co.jp
