artists
we believe that art can foster
creative thought, so we have
placed artworks throughout the hotel.
At Satoyama Jujo, we believe that art can foster creative thought, so we have placed artworks throughout the hotel to provide our guests with additional stimuli. Instead of hanging art in a staid museum, we use it as part of the everyday decor. This is part of what we call the Satoyama Art Project, whose aim is to encourage creation and discovery by way of art and good design, and ultimately, to make the local community a better place in the process.
Shun Kawakami is an artist, designer, and founder of the artless Inc. creative agency. He created a series of new works as the first installation in the Satoyama Art Project in 2014, and these can be found throughout the hotel. Drawing from his expertise in graphic design and digital print, his works amalgamate a range of styles while making use of wood, paper, and other natural materials.
Although his methods are contemporary, some of his pieces, at first glance, resemble ancient landscape paintings. It is this juxtaposition of the old and the new that makes his art a perfect complement to Satoyama Jujo’s core concept.
Ryuichi Ohira is a sculptor with a Doctor of Fine Arts from the Tokyo University of the Arts and the winner of the Mori Museum of Art’s Nanjo Fumio Award in 2005. The first thing you see upon entering the Reception Hall at Satoyama Jujo is his commanding piece “Fuku Kozuchi” (lucky hammer). Sculpted from a massive camphor tree trunk, it appears to be held up by a playful looking Daikokuten, the god of prosperity. Although the piece was originally created as part of Ohira’s work in Izumo, Shimane prefecture, it blends seamlessly with the thick rafters of the old wooden building, and the miniature Daikokuten has become a de facto mascot for the staff.
Kei Kaihoh is an up-and-coming architect who earned his master’s degree from the prestigious University of Tokyo. He launched his own firm in 2010, and met Satoyama Jujo’s CEO Toru Iwasa at an urban design competition in Fukushima in 2012. Iwasa, who was in the midst of renovations then, offered Kaihoh the chance to design a room from scratch. Measuring just under 50 sq. m., Room 204 is not large by luxury hotel standards, but Kaihoh was able to create three separate spaces and generate a cozy atmosphere by using different ceiling heights and minimalist furniture design. Making people feel at home when they stay at Satoyama Jujo is one of our key concepts, and Kaihoh’s design dovetailed perfectly with Iwasa’s vision.
Kanzo Shibata is a contemporary sculptor known for his series of styrofoam works. After working with clay and wood in his undergraduate years, his first-ever styrofoam sculpture was his master’s project for the Tokyo University of the Arts. His piece, which was inspired by the rugged mountain topography that surrounds Satoyama Jujo, is prominently displayed in the corridor.
The painstakingly carved and reassembled pieces of styrofoam create a tapestry of textures that change according to the light—passing ambient light during the day and a direct spotlight at night—and the proximity at which they are viewed.