In Tokyo's Tennozu district, PIGMENT TOKYO approaches art materials as objects worthy of study in their own right.
Established in 2015 by Warehouse TERRADA, the space was conceived as a bridge between traditional Japanese material manufacturers and contemporary artists, responding in part to concerns about the disappearance of specialist techniques and craftsmanship.
Architect Kengo Kuma designed the interior around a sweeping bamboo ceiling and a remarkable wall of approximately 4,500 pigments. The collection ranges from mineral and earth-derived colors to contemporary effect pigments, accompanied by more than 600 varieties of brushes, rare inkstones, sumi ink, and handmade Japanese paper.
But PIGMENT is more than an exceptionally well-presented art supply shop.
Its laboratory and educational programs investigate how materials behave, where they come from, and how artists use them. Workshops introduce visitors to processes such as preparing watercolors, working with mineral pigments, and applying metal leaf. The team also develops collaborations with artists, manufacturers, and other organizations.
The materials and knowledge behind artistic production become the main focus of the experience. The retail environment becomes a form of education, while the objects invite an appreciation of the knowledge, experimentation, and generations of practice behind their creation.
It is an unusually compelling example of how commerce can support cultural preservation while encouraging contemporary experimentation.
Tokyo, Japan · Arts & Culture
TERRADA Harbor One Building, 1F, 2-5-5 Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo