76 Questions
What is the primary focus of the case study in the Brazilian countryside?
Intersection of craft, counterculture, and transnational migration
What was the traditional understanding of craft in Brazil?
Something traditional, handmade by indigenous peoples and lower classes
What type of objects were typically created by artisans in Brazil?
Functional and creative objects, including those used in religious ceremonies
What factor contributed to the acceptance of ceramics as a form of art in Brazil?
The immigration of Japanese artists to Brazil
When did the first official ship with Japanese immigrants arrive in Brazil?
1908
Why did the Japanese government sponsor immigration to Brazil?
To provide employment opportunities for low-wage farmers
What was the primary occupation of the Japanese immigrants who arrived in Brazil in 1908?
Coffee plantation workers
What led to the loss of employment for Japanese farmers prior to their immigration to Brazil?
Meiji modernization
What was Miko's husband's profession before moving to Fukuoka Prefecture?
Nurse
What was the movement in Japan in the 1960s and 1970s that rejected urban living and hard work?
Back to the Land
What was the reason Alberto Cunha was escaping from Portugal?
To avoid conscription to fight in the colonial war
What was the leader of the authoritarian regime in Portugal during that time?
Salazar
What was the event that led to the democratic revolution in Portugal in 1974?
Carnation Revolution
Why could Roberto not return to Portugal?
He would have to go to jail for escaping military conscription
What was the idea that emerged among the friends in Fukuoka?
Establishing a utopian communitarian community in Brazil
What was the reason Brazil was chosen as the location for the communitarian community?
They spoke Portuguese
What was Miko's role in the pottery community in Fukuoka?
She was a part-time potter and supported her husband
What was the historical region in Japan known for?
Ceramic production
Why did the Japanese government sponsor immigration to Brazil?
To address poverty and unemployment in Japan
What was the main motivation for the first Japanese immigrants to Brazil?
To work temporarily on coffee plantations
What was the occupation of Miko before she became a craftswoman?
Nurse
What was the main difference between the first Japanese immigrants to Brazil and the later artists and craftspeople?
Their motivation for migrating
What was the characteristic of the 1960s and 70s counterculture that influenced Japanese artists and craftspeople?
A sense of adventure and experimentation
What was the term used to describe the lifestyle of Japanese artists and craftspeople who migrated to Brazil?
Lifestyle migrants
What was the reason for the establishment of Japanese porcelain factories in Brazil?
To employ Japanese technicians and specialists
From which region of Japan did many Japanese immigrants to Brazil come from?
Mei and Okinawa
What was the occupation of the technicians and specialists who migrated to Brazil in the 1950s?
Ceramic production
What was the name of the kiln firing technique used by Miko?
Noborigama
What type of kiln did the women use to fire their handmade pans?
Fornell Jabba Hankou
Where did the Korean potters who developed the nobility gamma skill come from?
Korea
What industry did the collective pottery studio engage with in the city?
Handmade tiles
Why did the locals initially fear the foreigners at the old slaughterhouse?
They were afraid of their clothes and hairstyles
Who was the first local person to approach the foreigners at the old slaughterhouse?
Luis de Lado
What type of kiln does Luis de Lado have?
A body gamma
What is characteristic of the work produced by Luis de Lado?
Hybrid work combining Japanese and local styles
Why did the collective pottery studio at the old slaughterhouse eventually end?
Due to financial problems and personal tensions
What is the name of the group that was formed at the old slaughterhouse?
The Old Slaughterhouse Group
What can be seen on the left in the image of the old slaughterhouse?
The studios
What was the initial challenge faced by the Old Solar House Studio?
Financial difficulties and language barriers
What was the outcome of the utopian collective studio experiment?
The group disbanded and each member ended up setting up their own individual studios
What is the town in South America known for today?
Largest nobody gamma kiln hub in South America
What event became popular in the town, attracting tourists and locals alike?
Kiln opening event
What was the initial reason for the group's success in the town?
Their connections with other artists and the Japanese artistic community
What is true about the current state of the town?
There are over 20 individual pottery studios and various types of ceramic traditions
What is true about the couple that established their studio in the town in the 2000s?
They were a Brazilian couple who had learned ceramics in Japan
What was the outcome of the group's experiment in terms of the town's identity?
The town's identity was transformed by the group's experiment
What was the significance of the Old Solar House Studio in the town's history?
It was a short-lived experiment that led to individual studios
What is true about the visitors who came to the town?
Most visitors were tourists who came to see the pottery studios
What was the outcome of the project to revive the pan women pan makers tradition?
The training of almost 20 women who are now producing ceramics based on the women pan makers traditions
What was the impact of the countercultural experiment on the local community?
It created new job opportunities for young people in the town
What was the original purpose of firing nobody gamma?
To fire collectively in a community kiln
What is the name of the elderly woman who makes handbuilt pans and other works?
Donna Matteucci
What was the significance of the smokeless skin kiln built by the Japanese painter?
It was a more environmentally friendly kiln
What was the purpose of the Craftsman house established by Miko Keisuke?
To promote rural craftspeople and their products
What was the outcome of Miko's engagement with the local community?
She helped to create new job opportunities for young people in the town
What was the impact of the countercultural experiment on the image of crafts in Brazil?
It changed the image of crafts from being ugly and professional to being recognized as a Brazilian intangible cultural heritage
What was the name of the book written by Miko Keisuke about her experience in the town?
30 Years of Nobody Gamma in the Town
What was the condition for the prefectural government to finance the SIR ceramics Konya ceramic sculptural Institute?
Local artists had to teach classes for high school students
What was the role of the institute in the town?
It was a training center that promoted and disseminated ceramic traditions
What was the outcome of the apprentices' engagement with the ceramic traditions?
They became professional potters with their own practice in the town
What was the purpose of the SIR ceramics Konya ceramic sculptural Institute?
To teach ceramics to local youngsters and promote cultural activities
What was the significance of the revival of the local ceramic traditions?
It created new job opportunities for young people in the town
What was the outcome of the ceramic program for local youngsters at the SIR ceramics Konya ceramic sculptural Institute?
About 200 local youngsters attended the program
What was the role of Miko Keisuke in the town's pottery community?
She was a founder of the Craftsman house and promoted rural craftspeople
What was the name of the event that takes place annually in the town?
The Konya Ceramic Festival
What is the name of the individual who was an apprentice to Miko Keisuke and started his own ceramic business?
Pedro Cicada
What was the Japanese government's role in the story?
They sponsored the Imago immigration
What was the main reason for the decline of the ceramic tradition in Kenya?
The influx of new materials like aluminum and plastic
Who was part of the Tackk group?
Albert and Marie Estrella, among others
What was the main attraction of the old slaughterhouse for the group?
The offer of no rent and the opportunity to revitalize the town
What was the significance of the wood fired kiln?
It allowed the group to work with natural forces and draw on Japanese tradition
What was the name of the region where the group settled?
Paraiba Valley
What was Albert's drive?
A passion for hippie culture and community living
Why did the mayor of Kenya want to attract outsiders to the town?
To revitalize the rural economy and counter the decline of the population
What was the common thread between the Okazaki couple and Albert?
Their knowledge of Japanese tradition and craftsmanship
What was the group's approach to building their pottery studio?
They worked together to build the studio using natural materials
Study Notes
Japanese Immigration to Brazil
- The first official ship with Japanese immigrants arrived in Brazil in 1908, bringing 100 people to work at coffee plantations in São Paulo state.
- The Japanese government sponsored immigration as a solution to unemployment, poverty, and overpopulation.
- Most Japanese immigrants were low-wage, low-class people from rural regions who lost their employment due to Meiji modernization.
Japanese Artists and Craftsmen in Brazil
- Japanese artists and craftsmen, particularly those involved in countercultural experiments, arrived in Brazil decades later, in the post-war period (1950s-1970s).
- They were a different category of migrants, escaping the constraints of Japanese tradition and seeking new modes of engagement with their craft.
- Examples include Shaco Suzuki, who was part of an earlier module, and Miko Okazaki, who will be discussed in this module.
Miko Okazaki and the Countercultural Experiment
- Miko Okazaki was born in a rural region of Japan and studied nursing, later becoming a professional nurse.
- She met her husband, Toshiyuki Okazaki, a nurse who decided to leave his career to start an adventure in ceramics in a rural area of Japan.
- The couple engaged in ceramics in a novel, non-traditional way, experimenting with new techniques and forms.
The Utopian Collective Studio
- Miko and Toshiyuki Okazaki met a Portuguese couple, Alberto Cidra and Maria Estrela, who were also interested in ceramics and countercultural living.
- The two couples decided to establish a utopian collective studio in Brazil, using wood firing and drawing on Japanese tradition.
- They were joined by other artists, including a Japanese-Brazilian painter, and started looking for a place to set up their studio.
- They settled on an old slaughterhouse in the town of Kenya, Paraiba Valley, and started building a wood-fired kiln.
The Collective Studio in Kenya, Paraiba Valley
- The group engaged with locals, gathering knowledge about materials and learning about the existing ceramic traditions in the region.
- They discovered an endangered ceramic tradition of handbuilt pans decorated with local minerals and paints.
- The group's presence was met with curiosity and some fear from the locals, but eventually, they found an apprentice, Luis de Lado, who became interested in their work.
- Luis de Lado worked with the group and later created his own hybrid work, combining Japanese and local traditions.
The Decline of the Collective Studio
- The collective studio experiment lasted only a few months due to financial problems and personal tensions.
- The group disbanded, with some members opening their own individual studios, while others returned to Japan or moved to other locations.
Legacy of the Collective Studio
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Despite its short-lived nature, the experiment led to the development of a major nobody gamma hub in South America.
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Two members of the group, Miko Okazaki and Alberto Cidra, remained in the town and opened their own individual studios with a nobody gamma kiln.
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Others, such as George De Niro and Suenaga, arrived in the 1980s and started an event called the Comma B Rakhee, which became popular in the town.### Countercultural Experiment in Ceramics
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A countercultural experiment in ceramics began in a town in the 1990s, which became a part of the town's identity and was monetized by tourism.
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The town has over 20 individual pottery studios, including six noborigama kilns, and various types of skills and crafts.
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The town's ceramic tradition is a blend of local and Japanese styles, with many artisans and potters moving to the town to establish their studios.
Miyako Keisuke's Contributions
- Miyako Keisuke, a Japanese immigrant, was a key figure in the experiment, establishing the first communitarian kiln and studio in the town.
- Keisuke also engaged in civic activities, promoting craftspeople, especially those working in rural areas, and founded the Craftsman House.
- The Craftsman House is a space for sales, exhibitions, and association, and was established in the 1980s.
Institutional Development
- Keisuke co-founded the SIR Ceramics Konya Ceramic Sculptural Institute in 2009, which teaches local youngsters ceramics and promotes cultural activities.
- The institute's program allowed local artists to teach classes for high school students, and around 200 youngsters attended the ceramic basic course.
- Some of the program's attendees became professional potters, with their own practice in the town, and some even fulfilled orders by commission.
Hybrid Ceramic Traditions
- The countercultural experiment contributed to the creation of new and hybrid ceramic traditions that blend local and Japanese styles.
- The institute's project revived the pan women pan makers tradition in the rural district of Virginie to tanky, training almost 20 women to produce ceramics based on this tradition.
Legacy
- The experiment changed the image of crafts, turning artesanato from something considered ugly and immature to a recognized Brazilian intangible cultural heritage.
- The town's ceramic tradition has become a source of revenue, and local youngsters now have the option to stay in the town and engage with local craft traditions as a way of making a livelihood.
This quiz explores the history of craft and art in Brazil, including the traditional understanding of craft, the types of objects created by artisans, and the influence of Japanese immigration on Brazilian art.
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