Kirra Jamison Loves Japan - Picture-books for Grown-ups

Written
by
Jenny Butler
Writer
Jenny Butler
25th of November 2011
A huge thank you to beautiful Kirra Jamison for such an excellent week of Guest Blogging- we have loved seeing Japan through your eyes! Kirra has so kindly provided us with a tasty selection of her works for The Design Files Open House and be sure to visit her new website here! Kirra is also represented in Melbourne by Sophie Gannon Gallery. Thanks again Kirra, have a great weekend all! -Jenny x I spent the last few days of my time in Japan buried deep within Tokyo's incredible book stores, so I thought it appropriate to end my blogging week with some of the treats I took home. Japan definitely has it going on when it comes to book publishing. While I can't read a word the pictures are enough (if you've been to Perimeter books in Thornbury you know what I'm talking about). Anyhow many kilos of excess luggage later (thankfully pre-paid) here is a selection of my treasured scores.
Put your dexterity to the test by crafting your own wooden utensils and tableware with this instructional book by artist Watanabe Hiroyuki. The best bit is at the end where he shows you how to oil your wares with a walnut! I picked this book up from Watanabe Hiroyuki's exhibition at Kitone in Kyoto.
This is some kind of recipe book with awesome pics of Japanese kitchens...that's all I can work out! Magazine World.

Cool Interior Life by ME & MIRACO chock full of creative Japanese homes. Published by Pie Books.

A Fragment of Journey is one of several great books by legendary the textile designer Mina Perhonen. Have a peek into Mina Perhonens beautiful fashion boutiques throughout Japan here.

Cinema Table, a book of photographs of food that has been recreated from films. The styling exceptional. Published by Aspect.

Making Truck by is a kind of journal by Truck, a furniture store/label in Osaka, Japan run by Tokuhiko Kise and Hiromi Karatsu. Truck is so unbelievably good. Do yourself a favour and head over to their site.

Hiroshi Sugito, April Song. From his recent paintings to a drawing he made when he was 7 years old, this book includes casually taken photographs and small scribbles by artist Hiroshi Sugito. Published by Foil.

MIRAI-CHAN is a collection of photographs shot by artist Kotori Kawashima of his friends daughter Mirai Chan on Sado Island, Nigata prefecture over a one year period. Many more pics of Mirai Chan on Pinterest.

More Truck from their 2005 exquisitely produced 312 page catalogue Truck Works, 57 Sorts of Furniture.

Kilts ARE cool Lucy Feagins. Fudge magazine says so.

Japanese lifestyle magazine ku:nel.

Thanks Lucy and Jenny for allowing me to indulge my inner blogger this week. Thank you Dane (who took a great many of these pics) for your skills with the camera...for reading the maps and letting me crash your residency! Catch you at The Design Files Open House next week. Having glimpsed it's magnificence yesterday my hot tip is wear your sneakers, you may want to stay a while. Over and out.

- Kirra x

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