In Japanese, the word utsuwa literally means "vessel" or "container," but it can also be used to describe a person's character. Someone said to have a "large utsuwa" ("utsuwa ga ookii") is a person of high caliber or someone with tremendous capacity or generosity. When celebrated Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake conceived the "U-Tsu-Wa" exhibition, on display now through May 10 in Tokyo at Roppongi Midtown's 21_21 Design Sight, he undoubtedly had both meanings of the word in mind.
"U-Tsu-Wa" focuses on the work of ceramic artist Lucie Rie, with whom Miyake shared a warm friendship until the Vienna-born potter died in 1995. Most of the Rie pieces on display are from Miyake's own collection, and the personal connection between these two creators is palpable, both in the sheer number Miyake has and in the collaborative work on display. Like most collaborative projects, there is a story to its origin.
In 1984, while showing his new clothing line in England, Miyake happened upon a catalog of Rie's work at a bookstore in Covent Garden. At the time, Miyake, who is known for his unpretentious blending of beauty and function, was struggling to stay true to his roots in a fashion world increasingly influenced by the flamboyance and excess of the bubbling '80s. Miyake was deeply moved by the warmth, beauty and unassuming elegance of Rie's vessels, and he immediately arranged to visit her workshop, which doubled as her home.