Kazuhito Kawai & Alexa Kumiko Hatanaka "Tsuitayo: Becoming by Making" @ KOTARO NUKAGA (Roppongi)

Artists Kazuhito Kawai and Alexa Kumiko Hatanaka are presenting a joint exhibition titled "Tsuitayo: Becoming by Making" at KOTARO NUKAGA in Roppongi, Tokyo. Running from March 14 to April 10, 2026, the show features Kawai’s expressive ceramic sculptures alongside Hatanaka’s textile-based works, including her signature "Noren" and "Tabi" pieces. The exhibition highlights a dialogue between Kawai’s tactile, often grotesque ceramic forms and Hatanaka’s exploration of heritage and craft through traditional Japanese materials.

This exhibition matters because it brings together two distinct approaches to contemporary craft and identity. Kawai’s work pushes the boundaries of traditional Japanese ceramics into the realm of contemporary sculpture, while Hatanaka, a Japanese-Canadian artist, uses textiles to navigate the complexities of the diaspora and cultural memory. By pairing these artists, the gallery explores how physical making serves as a process of self-actualization and cultural bridge-building in a globalized art context.