[Title] The Magic Wands of Hermès
[Artist] Yasuhiro Fujiwara
[Date] July 5 – September 20, 2011
Last year artist Yasuhiro Fujiwara orchestrated the Maison Hermès window creation entitled “Legend of the Savior Hermès,” a work in which he developed the celebrated tale of a magnificent horse as the crowing symbol. This summer Fujiwara returns triumphantly to the same display arena with his portrayal of the little known studio space of connoisseur artisans who furnish the driving force behind the brilliance that is Hermès.
If the boutique is considered a stage-like venue structured to furnish customers with inspiration, the production studio may be viewed as a site where the mind powers of artisans are vigilantly retained and compiled. Immaculately presented in the front window is a caliber of artisan studio that few if any outsiders have ever laid eyes on. Toiling hard in this room, furthermore, is a team of busy dwarfs. Firmly grasped in the hands of these pint-sized workers are magic wands designed to express “Tradition,” “Skill,” “Quality,” “Adventure” and “Innovation” – five vital elements that converge to instill Hermès products with their precious value.
The window on the left side portrays a product stockroom. The very fact that this storage area serves as a dimension where these carefully tooled creations lie in sleepy wait also qualifies it as a location where the techniques and memories of the artisans themselves are pooled. On one hand, the amassing of these mental powers is transformed into a vivid diorama bringing vivid color to the shelves. Likewise presented, on the other hand, is an accumulation closely resembling pure white snow buildup, where diffused reflections of geometrical patterns give birth to flows of soft light.
At that point in the process, the products fashioned in this domain await only final shipment. In the small window, the individual items can be seen individually packaged in specially crafted wooden boxes, breathlessly anticipating their ultimate departures on journeys as finished products.
Since its inception, Hermès has steadfastly upheld the legacy of distinction passed down over the decades. This unshakeable quality can certainly be said to provide the true essence of the unquestionable technique and uncompromising pride of the artisans themselves. Moreover, the solid stance of constantly stressing the weight of history, while at the same time rising to the challenges of new times and worlds, is supported by the sheer confidence intrinsic in the Hermès heritage.
The values contained in “Tradition,” “Skill,” “Quality,” “Adventure” and “Innovation” spin the world of Hermès artisans as five richly colored threads, while emerging as a source of deep-rooted fascination for the people of any given era.
Yasuhiro Fujiwara
Born in Mie Prefecture in 1968, Yasuhiro Fujiwara graduated from the Faculty of Art, Design and Oil Painting of Tama Art University in 1992. He then traveled to London to further his studies at the Chelsea College of Art and Design, completing a Master’s course in at that institution’s school of art in 2002. He has presented exhibitions at Mori Yu Gallery in Tokyo and numerous other venues, with his works also included in the collection of Thyssen – Bornemisza Art Contemporary. Fujiwara continues to steadily expand his depth and reputation as an artist, working out of a studio in his native Mie Prefecture as his base of operations.