LVMH Métiers d’Art presents in Paris the exhibition “Japanese Métiers d’Art - Celebrating the Artisanal Excellence of Japan“

Published on 05.29.2026 • 6 MINUTES

LVMH

From May 28 to June 3, 2026, LVMH Métiers d’Art is hosting at “La Main”, its exhibition space in Paris, the new edition of “Japanese Métiers d’Art - Celebrating the Artisanal Excellence of Japan”, open to professionals, with a day dedicated to the general public on May 30.

This exhibition highlights the richness of Japanese savoir-faire through Washi, an emblematic material of Japanese culture. Manufactured for over a thousand years, this traditional paper plays an essential role in many fields, from calligraphy to architecture, as well as craftsmanship and design. Today, it continues to inspire new forms of creation thanks to the dialogue between ancestral techniques, innovation, and contemporary uses.

Through a selection of works, materials, and creations, the exhibition reveals the diversity of Washi’s expressions and its potential in various universes such as fashion, textiles, objects, interiors, and exceptional materials. It underscores the vitality of a constantly evolving craft, driven by artisans, artists, and workshops who perpetuate rare gestures while integrating them into the present.

With the support of the Kyoto Prefecture, the exhibition also brings together several artisans and businesses, particularly from the Tango region and other territories linked to Kyoto. Their creations demonstrate Washi’s ability to reinvent itself, at the crossroads of heritage and contemporary creation.

“Through this exhibition, we wish to highlight the diversity of the savoir-faire related to Washi and show how much this ancestral material continues to inspire contemporary creation. Preserving these traditions, while supporting their evolution, is at the heart of our approach,” declares Yves Cauchon, Director of LVMH Métiers d’Art.

The exhibition will notably feature works by Horiki Eriko, a major figure in the contemporary expression of Washi, as well as creations by young talents from the competition organized by the KOGEI ARTISTS LEAGUE, an initiative supporting the new generation of artisans. Collaborations with fashion, textile, and design stakeholders will also illustrate the contemporary extensions of this unique material.

This initiative is part of a broader approach to developing a network of exceptional local partner artisans by LVMH Métiers d’Art. In 2022, an antenna was established in Japan to strengthen ties with local craft actors and better support the transmission, visibility, and influence of these savoir-faire among the LVMH Maisons. Two exhibitions have already been organized within this dynamic: “Ambient Weaving,” designed with the textile house Hosoo, focusing on innovative silk weaving techniques, and a first edition of “Japanese Métiers d’Art,” dedicated to Japanese denim craftsmanship and highlighting the work of Japanese anime and multimedia artist Shu Yonezawa.

Between unique pieces, material experiments, and more industrial applications, the exhibition offers a sensitive and contemporary look at Washi, and more broadly at the creative power of Japanese métiers d’art.

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