"Artists of TOKI no KUMO" is a essay series where the gallerists introduce Japanese artists and their works. The “TOKI no KUMO” gallery is located in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, next to the base of the Jcrafts interview tea in Kyoto. After Japan's Sengoku period (Warring States period), leading military commander Toyotomi Hideyoshi became ruler and built upa castle town here and made it his residence. Nagahama, located at the north of Lake Biwa, prospered as an important traffic hub as it has linked the east and the west since ancient times, and has developed as a cultural accumulation area where cutting edge items of the age are gathered.

｢The owners of ”TOKI no KUMO” gallery, Mr. and Mrs Nakamura, are both from Nagahama. The gallery has Japanese design works that are easy to use and you will never tire of them. The appearance of the simple and modern works that suit the couple's aesthetic sense also blend nicely with the world of "wabi” found in the jet black of raku tea bowls by tea ceremony master Sen no Rikyu.
Strangely, instead of being touted as imported tea ceremony utensils at the time, Rikyu was quick to focus on them being a domestic cup to be used on a daily basis.

Instead of catching the eye with loud colors and bizarre shapes, this gallery has a collection works with "new aesthetic" that blend into living environments and gently nestle into your everyday life. Upon the start of this series, that has the theme of ongoing creation of Japanese things, you will find here reason why each artist was chosen for "TOKI no KUMO".

Here, there are numerous works that not only have functional beauty, but also high spirituality. Please enjoy this numbered artist series that also focuses on supporting the creation of items, now and in the future, by the younger generation.