TOKYO WATCH WEEK
We will be exhibiting at TOKYO WATCH WEEK.
2025年9月29日
TOKYO WATCH WEEK
We will be exhibiting at TOKYO WATCH WEEK.
2025年9月29日

#11. The Dawn of Eternity

Towa TAKAYA

"Would you like to join me in visiting artist Towa TAKAYA’s studio?" I eagerly accepted President Suzuki’s invitation without hesitation. Visiting an artist’s studio feels distinctly different from stepping into an artisan’s workshop. What must it be like to be in a space where inspiration comes alive? Upon opening the door to the standalone atelier, I found a bright, white space adorned with several artworks, along with a vase-like container filled with numerous large, long brushes.

YUSAI

Towa shared stories of her childhood as the origin of her creative process, explaining how she loved tossing tissue paper into the air and observing its transformations as it fluttered, merging with light and breeze. It struck me that she was born an artist. Having studied at the University of the Arts London and at Goldsmiths, University of London, Towa has relentlessly pursued the inner world within her. "I want to express the moment before a phenomenon emerges," she said... her words resonating intuitively through the atelier’s atmosphere.

DIVIDO - ∞: Falling Stars and Mirage

I came to understand President Suzuki’s comment: "At MINASE, we hadn’t initially considered artist-designed dials, but while speaking with Towa, I was enveloped by a cosmic perspective, and, in hearing her profound dedication to color materials, I couldn’t resist asking if she would paint directly on a watch dial." Though taken aback by the sudden request, Towa was reportedly delighted.

Towa TAKAYA
In this, the timekeeping device and artwork merge as one, traveling with people, encountering diverse light, nature, and seasons, and giving rise to unforeseen phenomena. Towa’s explanation—that the dial, the watch, the surrounding natural phenomena, and even the emotions stirred in those who view the watch constitute art itself—drew me in profoundly. Towa crafts unique paints by blending pearlescent materials. With these paints, the hand-painted world on the watch dial’s metal plate holds value as a singular work of art while also inspiring imagination by bringing art into the ever-shifting phenomena of the outside world. It felt as though I had glimpsed new possibilities for MINASE’s JAPAN ART COLLECTION.

This is an in-depth travelogue of Mr. K. Kawakami who specializes in writing reports on various factories.
He takes a look at the fundamental value of MINASE, with incisive insight and observation refined over the years, as a seasoned expert on the watch industry.

Writer : K. Kawakami
K. Kawakami is a professional writer specializing in exploring diverse factories, reporting on their unique manufacturing practices in Japan and around the world. He travels to the factories of many manufacturers that operate on the principle of perfection, including watches, electrical appliances, shoes, fashion items, buildings, foods, confections, and traditional crafts.

#8. Interview with Designer Hirokuni YAMAMOTO (1)
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