Kogei Exhibition: Metalwork and Lacquerware: Asia Week New York 2026

SAVE THE DATE

Opening Reception: Thursday March 19, 5-8pm.

Onishi Gallery Names Its Exhibition for Asia Week 2026 and Raises the Curtain on a Multiyear Museum Project

NEW YORK CITY (December 2025): Onishi Gallery, renowned for its focus on KOGEI (contemporary craft art from Japan), is delighted to announce a special event celebrating Asia Week NY, New York’s annual festival of Asian art. “KOGEI Exhibition: Metalwork and Lacquerware”—featuring works by leading Japanese artists including several designated as “Living National Treasures”—will be on view from March 19 to April 3, 2026.

“KOGEI Exhibition: Metalwork and Lacquerware” not only presents contemporary masterpieces shaped by centuries of tradition but also serves as the curtain-raiser for a major touring project scheduled to launch at important US museums commencing in 2027.

Visitors to Onishi Gallery’s Upper East Side gallery in the historic Sidney Ripley mansion on 79th Street will encounter an extraordinary display of works by masters of two of Japan’s most distinctive craft disciplines.

Metalwork specialists transform gold, silver, copper, lead, iron, and unique Japanese alloys through techniques such as casting, chiseling, hammering, and overlay. Bending hard, unyielding materials to their creative will, they produce masterworks of unequaled grace and refinement.

Equally compelling are the lacquerware pieces, born from the artistic potential of urushi, the sap of the lacquer tree. Contemporary lacquer artists work with delicately carved bases of paulownia, cherrywood, cypress, and other timbers, patiently applying, drying, and polishing multiple layers of lacquer. These lustrous surfaces become canvases for decoration in precious metals and shell, marrying natural beauty with meticulous craftsmanship.

Both groups of artists share an unwavering commitment to traditional skills and materials, coupled with a bold spirit of innovation—qualities that define the essence of KOGEI, a uniquely Japanese phenomenon occupying a distinctive position at the intersection of “Craft” and “Art” in the Western tradition.

We invite you to seize this rare opportunity to experience the timeless beauty of KOGEI—a living heritage that continues to inspire contemporary design and enrich global lifestyles.

# # #

Onishi Gallery

16 E 79th Street, Ground Floor, New York, NY 10075

Exhibition Dates: March 19 – April 3, 2026

Opening Party: Thursday, March 19, 5 – 8pm

Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 10am – 5pm

Gallery Contacts:

Nana Onishi, Director / 212.695.8035 / nana@onishigallery.com

Yui Kugimiya, Assistant Director / 978.578.0347 / yui@onishigallery.com

Asia Week New York

Featuring auctions, exhibitions, and events showcasing Asian art, Asia Week New York will run from March 19 to March 27 2026. For further details please visit asiaweekny.com.

KOGEI USA

A certified not-for-profit organization under Section 501 (c)(3) of the U.S. Tax Code, KOGEI USA was established with the goal of raising the reputation of Japanese traditional arts and culture outside Japan by holding exhibitions and cultural events at major museums throughout North America and beyond. The first exhibition is scheduled to open at Minneapolis Institute of Art in 2027.