Contemporary Craft at Nagoya’s Analogue Life
An unglazed stoneware vase with flower bud lines; a paper-thin sake pitcher with a matte silver patina; a light maple spoon for scooping tea leaves. These are among an assortment of Japanese treasures handcrafted by contemporary artisans and lovingly curated by the eagle-eyed couple behind Analogue Life, a design shop and gallery in Nagoya
Over a decade ago, Torontonian photographer Ian Orgias and his Nagoya-native wife Mitsue Iwakoshi launched Analogue Life with a singular mission: to showcase the best of everyday Japanese craftsmanship.
‘From the beginning, our goal has always been simple: to present a thoughtfully curated collection of contemporary Japanese craft- art,’ explains Orgias. ‘We sell vessels and tools handmade from natural materials that enhance daily life through their function and use.’
Analogue Life began as an online store, but within two years the couple opened a physical store and gallery space in a setting almost as eye-catching as the products within. The store can be found down a quiet residential lane, on the second floor of a two-storey wooden house overlooking a walled garden. Analogue Life occupies the top floor of the house, while downstairs is art gallery Tsukihiso.
The house, dating back nearly 90 years, was originally built in a residential architectural style known as shoin-zukuri, often found in temple dwellings and military mansions, complete with a recessed tokonoma alcove and staggered shelving. After a light renovation, done in collaboration with local designer Yoshiyuki Hibino, that preserved the less- ornate original details, the space now hovers between the traditional and contemporary.‘The shop itself reflects the aesthetic of Analogue Life, which balances traditional craftsmanship with a contemporary edge,’ says Orgias.
Over the years, approximately 60 Japanese craft artists have exhibited or sold their work at Analogue Life. While most of them work with ceramics, other specialist materials include metal, glass, wood, textiles, paper and bamboo. According to Orgias, what unites the pieces — aside from affordability and functionality — is a certain aesthetic quality. ‘Regardless of their medium, we always seek out artists whose work is primarily utilitarian and doesn’t exist on a purely decorative level; their chosen material is expressive in itself.’
Popular items include tea-related ceramics like the wabi-sabi Kiseto tea bowl by Okayama- based Hitoshi Morimoto and the roughly hewn organic forms of Keita Matsunaga’s Void cups. Other highlights are the traditional Japanese cast-iron products handcrafted by Nobuho Miya and Taiki Sugishima’s lacquer- finished copper vessels.
analogue+ is a series of products designed and produced exclusively for Analogue Life, while the M.A series is the brand’s own range created in collaboration with furniture maker Maruyama Woodworks.
Though all products are available online (and worldwide shipping is available), those able to make the pilgrimage to Nagoya are rewarded not only with shopping heaven, but also with the chance to see one of the store’s in- house exhibitions, which in 2019 include the glassware creations of Fumiko Nagano and the ceramics of Tetsuya Ozawa and Kenji Omori.
Text / Danielle Demetriou
Images / Nicholas Watt
