Sawada Kensho

EXHIBITION

01/3

[On exhibit] Return to Earth, 2020, iron. Collection of the artist. Photo: Tibo Dhermy.

[Past work] Gate, 2021, iron. Collection of Odawara city.

[Reference image] Sawada Kensho in the workshop.

Sawada studied metalsmithing in college before learning traditional European blacksmithing at a workshop in Yamanashi. At the age of 30, he began working as an independent blacksmith. He opened his workshop in Iwase, an area undergoing revitalization projects for its architecture and cityscape. His work spans an impressive range, including gates, signboards, historical building restoration, fine art, and practical goods. At Go for Kogei, he is exhibiting thin, lightweight dishes that capture the transitional state as iron corrodes and returns to dust. Rust is a phenomenon unique to metal, and Sawada’s art presents iron as a living thing, born from the earth and destined to return to it.

EXHIBITION

IWASE AREA

I-8｜New An

PROFILE

Sawada Kensho

b. 1972 in Toyama Prefecture. Sawada began studying ironwork in earnest in 1994 at the Ironworks Arm in Yamanashi Prefecture. He founded the workshop Iron Chop in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture in 2003 and relocated to Iwase in 2020. His work spans fine art; cultural heritage conservation projects for sites like the Imperial Palace, Chion-in Temple, and Kanazawa Castle; and decorative metalwork for hotels, churches, and private residences. Past exhibitions include Toyama Artists (Toraya Tokyo Midtown Store Gallery, 2010) and Japanese Craft Renaissance Project: Future Tradition WAO (Musée des Arts Décoratifs, France, 2012). Past awards include the 2nd Best Overall Award at the 2011 Itami International Craft Exhibition (2011) and honorable mention at the 50th Japan Crafts Exhibition (2011).