The beginning of the ninth year

Eight years have passed since I started making Utsushiki.

Looking back, it seems like just a moment, but when you compare it with the growth of your children, it makes you wonder just how much time has passed.

Every year, we invite artists to exhibit, plan dinner parties in our cafe, and hold learning opportunities based on our desire to continue learning, centered on what we are interested in at the time.

Fashion, crafts, antiques, old tools, antique furniture, spatial decoration, paintings, minerals, plants, photography, art, music, food, tea, fortune telling, Aikido, yoga, Chi Nei Tsang, farming, education, books, natural foods, etc.

When I write it down like this, it seems like I'm trying my hand at a wide range of things without any restraint.

There was a reason for this from the beginning when we started the store - we didn't want to be confined to the existing frameworks of genres, categories, or fields.

Because of this, we have heard quite a few comments such as "What kind of store is this?", "What do you want to do?", "I don't really get it", and "You're an artist, so why don't you just focus on making accessories?"

Of course I know what's great about specializing in one area of ​​expertise and continuing to pursue one thing, and I have a lot of respect for craftsmen, athletes, and artists who do this.

But I just couldn't do that. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that I just wasn't that type of person.

My interests jumped from one subject to the next, and I couldn't resist my curiosity to know everything.

Thanks to this, I have been able to meet people I would never normally meet and interact with people with all kinds of values ​​and ways of thinking, which is enormous.

I learned the good and bad things that come with having more people involved.

At the same time, I realized how difficult it is to truly teach or convey something.

We communicate with others through words, letters, and gestures, but we often misinterpret those words or distort them by reading between the lines.

The way we communicate and receive things can change depending on the situation and state we are in. Of course, there is also the compatibility between people.

Even if you have the same experience in the same space, you can interpret it as either a negative or a positive thing.

We live in a fragile world where misunderstandings are so easily aroused.

A long time ago, when I lived in a permaculture community in Australia for a while, I came across a scene where people who advocated for peace and the circulation of the earth were fighting over differences in ideology and values.

It is not uncommon for friendly makers and stores to fall out over differences in policy, such as whether to prioritize looking good or the economics of sales.

I understand the supremacy of looking cool, but if it's not backed up by economics, it can be difficult to connect it to your current life or future activities.

There is also the idea that money should be ignored and you should just make what you want to make.

There is a strong focus on self-satisfaction and the pursuit of happiness only as an individual, so it is difficult to move forward with doing something together.

The other person has a life, and we have a life, too; if we don't talk based on the premise that capitalism is still the basis, then idealistic discussions will never lead to any conclusions.

The scary thing is that if we only talk about one extreme versus the other, we will miss out on all the diverse perspectives in between, which can lead to misinterpretations.

Using various examples, we wonder what direction we should aim for in the future.

From here on, I will think about what my goals are in running Utsushiki.

・ Creating a supportive circular economy

We always aim to achieve a win-win situation for sellers, buyers, and producers.

・Building relationships that allow us to grow together

I want to build a trinity of relationships with staff, creators, and customers.

・ We want to continue being a place of challenge for creators

Creating an environment where people can aim for what they can only achieve here

These three are the foundations that we want to continue to cherish.

It's not a visible goal like sales or a vague ideal of what you want to become.

It's important to have fun doing what you want to do.

To continue building relationships where we can improve and learn from each other.

We want to aim for deepening, not expansion or evolution.

To do more than you can now.

Anyone can speak with just their mouth.

Get your hands moving and keep taking action.

No matter how old you are, that's all there is to it.

I pursue the things I couldn't do yesterday, or the moments when I was able to create the image in my head.

It's as simple as that.

I went here and there and wrote about this and that.

This is the schedule for the rest of the year's exhibits.

Flower and Moon Days: September 23rd (Saturday) – October 1st (Sunday)

Takashi Ichikawa October 7th (Sat) – October 15th (Sun)

Emiowasu October 21st (Sat) – October 29th (Sun)

Masami Toda November 18th (Sat) – November 26th (Sun)

Kutou Masamitsu December 2nd (Sat) – December 10th (Sun)

The exhibition was spectacularly packed in the second half.

There is no doubt that all of the exhibits will be very interesting, so please come and visit!

Once again, I am grateful for each and every encounter.

We look forward to your continued support for Utsushiki in its 9th year.

Happy Lovely Revolution♡

Yasuhide Ono