Distinctive architecture, working with a close connection to land and nature, centered by a deep respect for the architecture and craft traditions of Japan, as well as the early buildings and landscapes of Pennsylvania — this was the common ground for a tight-knit circle of artists and architects who expanded the parameters of modernism in the Philadelphia region and beyond. Shofuso and Modernism focuses on the artistic interconnections between renowned woodworker and architect George Nakashima, the husband and wife design team of Antonin Raymond and Noémi Pernessin Raymond, along with Junzo Yoshimura — the first in a line of Japanese architects to find success in both Japan and in the United States.
Shofuso and
Modernism
The Architecture and Design of George Nakashima, Antonin and Noémi Raymond, and Junzo Yoshimura
Exhibition
02 Sept. – 29 Nov. 2020
Presented in one of Yoshimura's pivotal works, Shofuso — the Japanese House and Garden in Philadelphia, completed in 1954 — this exhibition features original furniture and textile designs, documentary film, and an installation of newly commissioned photography, to explore this circle's connections with Japan and the translation of those experiences into design and built architectural work in the Philadelphia region during the middle years of the twentieth century. Together, their environmentally and culturally sensitive design philosophies resonated globally and continue to influence architecture and design today.
Programs
Thurs. 17 Sept. 2020
Lecture "Found in Translation" by Ken Tadashi Oshima
6pm–7:30pm, online
Saturdays 26 Sept. – 14 Nov. 2020
Guided tours of Raymond Farm, New Hope
1pm & 2:30pm, at Raymond Farm
Fri. 9 Oct. 2020
Online documentary film launch discussion with
Nadia Hironaka and Matthew Suib
6pm–7:30pm, online
Sat./Sun. 10 & 11, 17 & 18 Oct. 2020
Design Philly Curator Gallery Walk
10am–11am, at Shofuso
Tues. 20 Oct. 2020
Photographer Elizabeth Felicella in conversation
with curator William Whitaker
6pm–7:30pm, online
Tues. 18 Nov. 2020
Modern Japanese Architecture and Design in America: with Cynthia Altman, William Whitaker, Yukie Kamiya and Kim Andrews
Organized by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund
Time: TBA, online
Major support for Shofuso and Modernism has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, with additional support from: William Penn Foundation, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Philadelphia Cultural Fund, The Japan World Exposition 1970 Commemorative Fund, Temple University, Temple University Japan, Design Philadelphia, PHL Philadelphia International Airport, Holt Logistics, Mizuho, and Morgan Lewis. Organized by Japan America Society with exhibition partners Nakashima Woodworkers, Raymond Farm Center for Living Arts & Design, and Ueyakato Landscape.
