The Beginning
I was what you would call a "grandma's boy," so from a young age I grew up surrounded by artificial bonsai trees made by my grandmother.
My grandmother makes bonsai every day.
The artificial bonsai trees that my grandmother makes are handcrafted, one pine needle at a time.
The artificial bonsai that we are offering as a return gift this time also takes one week to create.
My grandmother's works, which took so much time to create, are so well-made that even when viewed up close, it is impossible to tell whether they are real or artificial.
"I want to convey my grandmother's artisanal skills and beauty to the world and do something that will lead to supporting artisans."
With this idea in mind, ART BONSAI was born.
Director: Kento Aoki
Thoughts
I wanted to spread my grandmother's artisanal skills throughout the country and even the world, and to revive the "National Bonsai Artists Association." That was the sole purpose of the project.
The National Bonsai Artists Association, to which my grandmother belongs, had over 1,000 members until 40 years ago.
However, due to the aging of members caused by the declining birthrate and aging population, the number of members has now decreased to less than 10 people.
At that time, we had a large number of members, so we held many solo exhibitions.
Customers who liked the works would often purchase them on the spot, which helped the artisans earn a living and increased the number of members.
However, with the current low number of members and the inability to hold individual exhibitions, artists are losing opportunities to have their work recognized before they can even earn a living as craftsmen.
We decided to make a contribution to this situation, first to raise awareness of the works, and then to start ART BONSAI with the aim of reviving the National Association of Creative Bonsai Artists.
