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KAJI GALLERY

House of Japanese Art

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Type

Gallery

Location

Kyoto

Area

90 м²

Year

2024

KAJI GALLERY is an art space in the heart of ancient Kyoto, where objects with soul and history find their home, where Japanese aesthetic traditions merge with contemporary artistic practices, and meditative contemplation blends with expressive artistry.  

CHALLENGE

To create an art space that embodies both substance and form. Every element of this ensemble should surprise and inspire, while together they should appear harmonious. Additionally, the interior must convey fundamental Japanese aesthetic principles: naturalness, restraint, the value of lived experience, respect for imperfections, wabi-sabi, and more.

Unique antique finds will be exhibited in this space, so the context must also be appropriate — evoking a sense of antiquity, preciousness, and deep value on all levels. 

PLANNING

We have two floors: First Floor — gallery hall with a central tea area, a green oasis, and an exit to the terrace. Second Floor — exhibition space and a large lecture hall.

FIRST FLOOR

Entering the hall of the first floor, clay and wood dominate. Mazanka — a special technique of applying clay to the walls — combines the traditions of Japan and Ukraine, the homeland of Serhii Makhno. This method pays homage to authentic techniques.

SECOND FLOOR

Climbing the stairs, we enter the exhibition corridors of the second floor. Here too, clay and wood dominate. Some walls are decorated with TETRAPOD ceramic 3D art tiles, creating an incredible dynamic pattern and adding a more modern and even futuristic context to the "traditional" concept. It is no wonder this tile won the Red Dot award.

PLANNING

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KAJI GALLERY

We have two floors:

First Floor — gallery hall with a central tea area, a green oasis, and an exit to the terrace.
Second Floor — exhibition space and a large lecture hall.

FIRST FLOOR

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KAJI GALLERY

Entering the hall of the first floor, clay and wood dominate. Mazanka — a special technique of applying clay to the walls — combines the traditions of Japan and Ukraine, the homeland of Serhii Makhno. This method pays homage to authentic techniques.

The furniture is also made of clay, or rather, ceramics: sturdy 100-kilogram PYL chairs and an incredible multi-component ceramic chair, KVARTZ. All these items are handcrafted by the masters of MAKHNO Studio, who inherit the secrets of creating such incredible beauty from generation to generation. Noting the texture of their surfaces, one can observe the intricate interplay of glaze and artistic finishes.

The ceramic art lights can be called sculptures that shine. These include the iconic KHMARA lamps above the tea area and the elegant CHOVEN lamp by the window. These silhouettes have long captured the hearts of admirers from all cultures and corners of the world. Interestingly, they have perfectly integrated into the Japanese context as well.

All structures, beams, stairs, and ceilings are made of wood. For the display shelves, we select vintage beams, and for the ceiling coverings — fresh ones. Wood and clay are the warmest natural materials; they never lose value or texture. Thus, this is the ideal combination for our art concept.

Special attention is drawn to the unique cast floor from which gallery showcases grow seamlessly. The space has no sharp “predatory” corners or “cold” industrial elements.

Heading to the second floor, we notice a green oasis in the stairwell area — a tribute to the Japanese tradition of small gardens. This small living corner is guarded by the wise DIDO — an art sculpture and talisman created by Serhii Makhno. It is a kind of totem of this place.  

SECOND FLOOR

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KAJI GALLERY

Climbing the stairs, we enter the exhibition corridors of the second floor. Here too, clay and wood dominate. Some walls are decorated with TETRAPOD ceramic 3D art tiles, creating an incredible dynamic pattern and adding a more modern and even futuristic context to the “traditional” concept. It is no wonder this tile won the Red Dot award.

The lecture hall is an example of perfect Japanese design, where the ancient principles of shoin-zukuri find new forms, yet are still embodied in “native” materials — wood and bamboo, ceramics, and paper.  

KAJI GALLERY is a project-art experiment. Like a chawan (tea bowl) molded and glazed by the master’s hand, it lives, breathes, influences, and communicates with everyone who dares to interact with it.

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