Sagara Ikuya

• EXHIBITION
• EVENT

Sagara is a thatch craftsman born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1980 and based in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, whose work ranges from the roofs of traditional private homes and cultural properties to modern interior design and ornaments. Sagara, a former hip-hop DJ residing far from the naturalist world, determined to become a hyakusho (a term for farmer, literally meaning “a person with 100 practical life skills”) that blends in with the natural landscape, after reading Miyazawa Kenji’s book, General Theory of Farmers’ Arts (Nomin Geijutsu Gairon). He chose the profession of thatch craftsman because “plants are harvested, used for thatching roofs, and then they return to the soil.” In 2008, he founded the Ogo Thatched Roof Preservation Society Kusakanmuri, which was incorporated in 2019 as Kusakanmuri Co., Ltd. He has been actively organizing workshops and seminars to promote thatching culture. In recent years, he has also explored the possibilities of thatching through artwork that embodies the technique’s inherent beauty. His work has been highly acclaimed both in Japan and abroad.
His major works include the roofs of nationally designated important cultural properties, including the Hitoyama Rural Kabuki Stage (Kagawa Prefecture, 2022) and the Shimoki Family Residence (Kagawa Prefecture). Exhibitions include Life is Beautiful: Clothing, Food, Plant, and Shelter (Gyre Gallery, Tokyo, 2023) and KAYABUKI -Thatching for Tomorrow- (Lugtje Gallery, Netherlands, 2023). His major awards include the Loewe Craft Prize finalist (2024), the Japan Outdoor Leaders Award Excellence Prize (2020), and the Kobe City Culture Encouragement Prize (2015).

EXHIBITION

HIGASHIYAMA AREA